Australia, Asean leaders warn of encrypted messaging apps as Southeast Asia vows terror cooperation
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull urged Asian leaders to work together to curb the increasing use of the internet by groups like Islamic State to radicalise and recruit new members
Use of encrypted messaging apps to plan terrorist attacks is the greatest threat facing intelligence agencies in modern times, Australia warned Saturday as Southeast Asian leaders vowed closer cooperation to counter extremism.
An Asean-Australia special summit in Sydney heard that use of the “dark web” was a spiralling problem and countries in the region must work together to keep on top of it.
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told the meeting “the use of encrypted messaging apps by terrorists and criminals is potentially the most significant degradation of intelligence capability in modern times”.
He said the only way to deal with the problem, and the increasing use of the internet by groups like Islamic State to radicalise and recruit new members, was together.
“We have to be constantly alert, constantly working with our neighbours in the region,” said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, pointing to the increasingly transnational nature of terrorism.