Terrorist Innovation and Online Propaganda in the Post-Caliphate Period

Abstract

This paper examines the understudied area of innovation and terrorism as it pertains to the post-Caliphate Salafi-jihadi groups. It begins by distinguishing between creativity and innovation, emphasising that hierarchical terrorist organisation are not creative by nature. In part two, the paper reviews a typology of terrorist innovation and of the law of unintended consequences. The third section explores how these entities have moved onto the online gaming world because counterterrorist policies have limited their ability to communicate with potential recruits. The move underscores why de-platforming and many of the counternarrative initiatives have failed to curtail the messaging of violent extremist groups who know that they must find new avenues to communicate with supporters and potential recruits, which is why they innovate.