In an intelligence report by the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (N.Z.S.I.S.) last week, experts warned that a terrorist attack in New Zealand is a “realistic possibility” over the course of the next year. Although New Zealand’s national threat level has been low since 2022, observers of current trends in global insecurity worry that ideologically driven messages spread on online platforms could penetrate into what is considered one of the most peaceful countries in the world. 

Andrew Hampton, N.Z.S.I.S. Director-General of Security, said in a statement that concerns over possible terrorist attacks in New Zealand are “amid what is a deteriorating global security environment,” Reuters reports. The Global Peace Index ranks New Zealand among the top five safest countries in the world, but the N.Z.S.I.S. annual report nonetheless indicates possible infiltration by ideological extremism. Renju Jose, Breaking News Correspondent for Reuters, notes that in addition to the N.Z.S.I.S., the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence partners – including New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Great Britain, and the U.S. – are “increasingly concerned about the radicalisation of youth” via online platforms. 

In his Reuters article, Jose points to the growing threat of extremist group’s use of online platforms to reach potential members. The urgency of the N.Z.S.I.S. report suggests a need for social media organizations to filter what kind of content can reach younger populations susceptible to violent messages. At the same time, the N.Z.S.I.S. and Five Eyes intelligence reports emphasize the importance of agencies with the ability to collect data about the threat of social media when used to motivate extremist violence. 

Ideological extremism has spread rapidly around the world over the last several decades, as various extremist groups have turned to social media to reach their audiences. Virginia Commonwealth University (2023) found that by 2016, 87% of individuals engaged in extremist activities used social media of some kind to promote their message. New Zealand’s worst extremist attack was in 2019 when a gunman killed 51 Muslim individuals in a mosque and wounded nearly 50 more. The gunman live-streamed the shooting on Facebook, providing an extreme example of individuals who spread extremist violence on social media. While New Zealand has retained its status as one of the safest countries in the world despite the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooting, the N.Z.S.I.S. annual intelligence report reminds leaders of the persisting threat of ideological violence spreading through social media. 

The possibility of inciting violence via online activity in New Zealand despite the country’s success in maintaining internal peace points to the serious capabilities of social media in today’s world. While the N.Z.S.I.S. explicitly mentions the serious impact of social media usage by extremist groups, it also draws attention to the importance of agencies responsible for tracking such threats across various platforms. By analyzing the current status of social media usage in New Zealand to monitor potential threats, the N.Z.S.I.S. can hopefully prevent an attack inspired by online extremist-based messages. Those responsible for ensuring domestic security in New Zealand should pay special attention to the N.Z.S.I.S. report and contemplate strategies to counter the growing role of social media in dispersing ideological-based violence.