The Department of Internal Affairs has revealed a 10 percent increase in referrals to its Digital Violent Extremism team in 2024, with 974 URLs flagged for suspected extremist online content.

The findings, published today in the 2024 Digital Violent Extremism Transparency Report, also show that 38 formal take-down notices were issued by the Department to platforms hosting objectionable content.

88% of the content referred to the team was removed by platforms following intervention by the Department.

“Every one of the URLs we issued informal take-down notices to, contained images and videos promoting or encouraging violent extremism or terrorist attacks. Much of this content promoted or depicted the violent attack or death of innocent victims for the gratification of others,” says Jared Mullen, Director of the Digital Safety Group.

The report also reveals the that investigators are continuing to see the cases connected to hybridized threat groups. These are violent online groups who extort minors online into recording self-harm and sexually explicit acts. These groups often involve terrorist and violent extremism, gore, and child sexual exploitation material.

“Online groups such as these are responsible for exploiting the most vulnerable members of society by coercing them to share extreme and egregious content,” says Mullen.

These offenders use online platforms to cherry pick vulnerable members of society to systematically victimize. We are working closely with our partners to do everything in our power to apprehend these offenders and safeguard victims.”

The most commonly reported ideology type in 2024 was Identity motivated, specifically white-identity. This was reflected in the continued presence of content relating to the Christchurch terrorist attacks, which accounted for 38 percent of referred content in 2024.

The Digital Violent Extremism team is responsible for keeping New Zealanders safe from online harm by responding to and preventing the spread of objectionable material thatpromotes or encouragesviolent extremism. The team continues to work withgovernment and community partners, in New Zealand and around the world, to prevent, deter, and prosecute those who spread this material.

Head toCountering Violent Extremism Transparency reports - dia.govt.nz to read the report in full.

© Scoop Media