Violence and Security

Coleman: EU Online Code of Conduct Threatens Speech

June 07, 2016

Paul Coleman of ADF International writes that the EU's new online "code of conduct," agreed with major social media platforms and the European Commission to root out "illegal hate speech," goes beyond speech inciting terrorist attacks with a broad and vague standard that may chill the free expression of ideas.
Free Speech Advocates Object to EU "Hate Speech" Deal

June 06, 2016

Reuters reports that nongovernmental organizations advocating freedom of expression have expressed alarm that a "code of conduct" on hate speech recently agreed between the EU and a group of large tech companies will lead to overenforcement and stifle the free exchange of ideas online.
Germany Arrests IS Terror Suspects in Düsseldorf

June 06, 2016

AP reports that German authorities have arrested three Syrian men in Düsseldorf who had entered Germany via Greece and were planning a suicide bombing and firearm attack on behalf of the Islamic State in the city center.
MEPs Endorse Common EU Travel Document

June 03, 2016

Members of the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee have endorsed the European Commission's proposal for a common EU travel document that would facilitate returns of "irregular" migrants in EU member states to their home countries.
CoE Report Targets "Hate Speech" in Croatia

June 03, 2016

A report from the Council of Europe's Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities blames nationalism, political radicalization, and hate speech for negative impacts on the human rights of minorities in Croatia.
CoE Recommends Policies on Migrant Integration

June 02, 2016

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks has called on European countries to implement long-term policies to ensure the successful integration of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa into society, including family reunification, residence rights, access to the labor market, and participation in politics.
CoE Report Warns of "Islamophobic" Migration Response

June 02, 2016

The annual report of the Council of Europe's Commission against Racism and Intolerance warns that the European migration crisis has spurred increased Islamophobia and xenophobia among populist parties and calls for better integration policies for migrants in countries across the region.
Teachers' Network Seeks to Counter Radicalization in Africa

June 02, 2016

An article in The New Yorker describes the efforts of a teacher affiliated with the network Teachers Against Violent Extremism to educate children in a working-class community of Kenya to resist radicalization by al-Shabaab, an Islamist extremist group that recruits young people to join its fight to impose sharia law in East Africa.
Tech Companies Agree to EU Code on "Hate Speech"

June 01, 2016

Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, and YouTube have agreed to a European Commission-issued code of conduct under which they will review requests to remove "illegal hate speech," including content used to recruit Islamic extremists as well as speech deemed to be racist or xenophobic, from their platforms within 24 hours and, if necessary, delete the content.
Observers: Microsoft Faces Dilemma on Cooperation with Egypt

May 27, 2016

Foreign Policy reports that tech company Microsoft is facing a difficult situation after being invited to speak at a UN Security Council meeting hosted by Egypt on countering online extremism, as the company must find a road between restricting propaganda from the Islamic State and shutting down legitimate criticism of the country's military-led government.