For criminals and terrorists, the internet provides opportunities to exploit it as a tool where they can communicate with affiliates, coordinate plans, raise funds, and introduce new supporters or recruits into their networks. Hence an EC Horizon 2020 research project, led by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and supported by CENTRIC (Centre of Excellence in Terrorism, Resilience, Intelligence and Organised Crime), part of Sheffield Hallam University, on counter terrorism challenges facing law enforcement agencies across Europe. The TENSOR project is supported by partners across Europe with 16 partners from seven European countries.
Project TENSOR is aims to develop a platform offering law enforcers ways to plan and prevent for the detection of terrorist activities, radicalisation and recruitment. The project has a work stream on the ethical, legal and societal impact.
Police Service of Northern Ireland Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris said: “The internet is one of the greatest developments of our time. It has revolutionised the way we live and work. But like many advances, it also has proven to have potential of a more subversive nature. Terrorists and criminals use the internet to connect with each other, source tools and techniques and grow support for their ideology. In that way, we see technology utilised in a dangerous way, a way which has the potential to threaten the safety and security of communities across Europe. Indeed we have seen the terrible impact of terrorism in Europe – in London, Manchester, Nice, Paris and Brussels. The research undertaken in the TENSOR project will play an important part in working to increase the capability of law enforcement agencies to prevent and detect the use of the internet by terrorists and increase community safety.
“European funded security research and development work brings together some of the most experienced researchers, technical developers and practitioner’s from across Europe. The TENSOR project topic is challenging and very current. As Law Enforcement and Security Agencies seek to defeat the terrorist threat, we must ensure that we are developing our capabilities to match the challenge we face. Involvement in funded research and innovation projects ensure that we can do this.”
And the director of CENTRIC and TENSOR Technical and Scientific lead, Prof Babak Akhgar added: “The TENSOR project will provide Law Enforcement Agencies with state of the art capacities to combat violent radicalisation inspired by online content. The project can also enhance law enforcement agencies ability to identify and analyse terrorist generated content in order to protect citizens.
“The legal and ethical framework of the project will provide a safeguarding mechanism to ensure that the TENSOR solutions are shaped by the privacy and data protection laws that protect the freedom of citizens across Europe in their use of the internet.”
