Online ‘Terrorgram’ network to be hit with tough counter terrorism sanctions

Tough financial sanctions will be slapped on an online white supremacist network — Terrorgram — by the Federal Government on Monday.

Terrorgram is an online network of Telegram channels which promotes white supremacy, anti-Semitism and other racially motivated violence.

In the network, Terrorgram openly advocates for the commission of terrorist acts, and users share neo-fascist content, as well as instructions and guides on how to conduct racially motivated violent acts.

Under the new sanctions, it will be a criminal office to use or fund Terrorgram, with penalties including up to 10 years in prison and heavy fines.

The sanctions are the first time an Australian Government has placed counter-terrorism financing bans on an online entity.

As part of the sanctions, the Government has also extended the listings of four other groups — National Socialist Order, the Russian Imperial Movement, Sonnenkrieg Division and The Base.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the decision to place the sanctions on the groups were part of a continued effort to stop the radicalisation of Australians online.

“This demonstrates the Albanese Government’s commitment to disrupting the activities of terrorists and violent extremists and preventing them from recruiting and radicalising people online,” she said.

“There is no place in Australia for antisemitism, hatred or violence.”

Hizballah’s new Secretary-General and leading spokesperson Naim Qassem has also been hit with sanctions.

“Hizballah is responsible for the deaths of countless civilians in Lebanon, Israel and across the Middle East,” Senator Wong said.

Speaking on ABC on Sunday, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called for major tech companies to step up over young people being radicalised online.

“Our kids are on their devices constantly, the same rules should apply online as they do in the real world,” he said

“If there’s child abuse material, which I’ve tried for years to get Facebook to take down, if there is that sort of explicit material, if there is terrorist-related advocacy and spreading of that hate message, they have the algorithms.

“They have the technology and now the AI to be able to clear it but of course, they don’t, because they’re driven by profit.”

Asked about X owner Elon Musk’s responsibility for this radicalisation, Dutton said he “had a battle for over a decade against people like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg and others who were making money out of our kids”.

“As [Australian Security Intelligence Organisation director-general] Mike Burgess would point out, a young person sitting in front of a computer screen can be indoctrinated over a week or two because of the constant videos and bombardment of propaganda,” Dutton said.

“So there’s obviously the influence of social media, there’s the influence of people who are radicalised here in our own society.”