Conspiracy theories may spawn new forms of terrorism

Gilles de Kerchove has warned that new forms of terrorism rooted in conspiracy theories could emerge after the coronavirus pandemic.

The EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator said that a ‘major change in society’ was underway, and that, while terrorists inspired by ISIS and al-Qaeda remained the biggest security threat across the continent, there is increasing concern about the ‘potential future rise of new forms of terrorism, rooted in conspiracy theories and technophobia’.

In an interview published in the CTC Sentinel journal, Gilles de Kerchove cited small-scale acts of violence caused by a belief in conspiracy theories, such as those against telephone masts rooted in the belief that 5G technology is harmful. He also highlighted concern over ‘increasingly violent ecologist and animal rights groups’.

The Belgian official said that the coronavirus pandemic had sparked a rise in ‘conspiracy theories that have no direct link to existing extremist ideologies’. His comments echo those of Sara Khan, the UK’s extremism chief, who said in June that conspiracy theories and ‘wacky’ claims must be tackled before they can be used to spark violence and terrorism.

Discussing the growth in far-right extremism, as well as a rise in left-wing extremism, de Kerchove said: “Left-wing violent extremists are responsible for a large number of non-lethal attacks. Depending on how the economic crisis develops in the wake of the health crisis we are currently facing, inequality is going to be exacerbated, and this might inspire more violent left-wing extremism that could have the potential to become more lethal and more geographically dispersed than it currently is.”