ABSTRACT
Governments and military organisations globally are grappling with the changing nature of influence: the democratisation of information and truth as the next stage in the development of hybrid warfare and violent extremism. This chapter considers how the Digital Age has transformed the ability of violent extremists to radicalise, recruit and carry out acts of terror. Across the world individuals have, to lesser and greater extents, embraced their new position as arbiters of truth and information, but not yet harnessed this opportunity to challenge violent extremism and protect their communities. Countering violent extremism efforts need to mobilise communities and prevent silence from being filled by far-right, Salafist takfiri jihadist or any other violent extremist narratives. The primary occupation of actors of hybrid warfare and terrorism has become ensuring that their accepted truth is triumphant. The entrenchment of hybrid warfare, or rather its assimilation to simply war, may create a ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ clause for violent extremist and terror groups.
