SEARCCT’s International Conference 2025: Emerging Trends in Terrorism and Violent Extremism

Kuala Lumpur, 24 June 2025 – INITIATE.MY participated in the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT) International Conference 2025 with the theme of “Emerging Trends in Terrorism and Violent Extremism”. The conference brought together counterterrorism experts, researchers, policymakers, and civil society representatives to address the evolving challenges of preventing and countering violent extremism (PCVE), focusing on the role of digital platforms and emerging technologies. 

The first day of the forum featured two key sessions that explored the evolving nexus between youth, technology, and violent extremism. 

First session:  How radicalisation unfolds across social media, encrypted messaging apps, gaming spaces, and the dark web. 

• Mr. Asrul Shah Razali from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Malaysia moderated this session. 
• Ms. Mediha Mahmood from Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) highlighted the “bystander effect” online, where silence by passive users amplifies extremist content. She cited successful counter-speech strategies, such as a German initiative that reduced hate threats by 17%. 
• Ms. Emma Allen from Hedayah Centre, United Arab Emirates shared findings from a study revealing that 96% of Malaysian youth are online, making them highly vulnerable to extremist narratives that blend global and local themes. 
• Dr. Miraji Mohamed, Swansea University and Dublin City University added an interdisciplinary lens, stressing the importance of understanding how different platforms shape radicalisation processes and recommending gender-sensitive, alternative approaches to prevention.

Second session: how artificial intelligence (AI) and immersive technologies are reshaping the terrorism landscape and preventive strategies. moderated by 

• Ms. Farlina Said from Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, moderated this session.
• Mr. Asrul Daniel Ahmad from SEARCCT described how extremists exploit generative AI to create deepfakes, emotionally resonant content, and culturally subversive propaganda, citing examples like AI-generated ISIS news modeled after Al Jazeera. He warned of AI’s potential to rapidly spread content in local languages, increasing the threat in Southeast Asia. In response, SEARCCT runs youth-focused story workshops and coding labs to build digital resilience.
• Ms. Asha Hemrajani from S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Singapore highlighted digital vulnerabilities including a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and platform manipulation, advocating for algorithmic retraining and multiple response mechanisms tailored to each platform’s dynamics.

Mr. Galen Lamphere-Englund from Extremism and Gaming Research Network (EGRN) turned the spotlight on the gaming ecosystem, identifying its highly social nature as fertile ground for radicalisation. His research found that 30% of gamers across seven countries encountered extremist content, with 22% seeing it as normal. Extremists exploit games through propaganda-laced titles, in-game chats, microtransactions, and even live-streaming attacks. Buffalo 2022 shooter’s exposure to radicalisation, for example, was through platforms like Roblox, Discord, and Twitch. 

He proposed a “Prevent, Detect, React” framework including esports mentorships, gaming literacy programmes, and AI moderation to counter this radicalisation threat. The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) is also preparing a Southeast Asian study to improve online safety in gaming spaces.

The conference highlighted the dual role of technology in extremism and PCVE, from silence-driven radicalisation to AI-enhanced propaganda and gaming vulnerabilities. Building on INITIATE.MY’s established work on online extremism, which addresses online threats and the exploitation of AI, these insights strengthen our findings. 

Balqis Maesara, INITIATE.MY’s Project Officer, and Irdina Sorfina, INITIATE.MY’s Legal Intern contributed to critical conversations on digital threats and counterextremism in Southeast Asia as a civil society organisation.