The terrorism and violent extremism threat in Australia
Australia’s general terrorism threat level is PROBABLE— there is a greater than fifty per cent chance of an onshore attack or attack planning in the next twelve months.
Australia’s security landscape has entered a vulnerable period and is being challenged by new threats with concerning trajectories. Our landscape is a reflection of the social and political environment in which we live – social cohesion is lower, and trust in governments and democratic processes globally is eroding.
ASIO is observing the emergence of domestic actors increasingly driven to action by socio-political issues, intersecting with personal grievances. There is an increase in extremism, fuelled by conspiracy theories and anti-authority ideologies. Some actors hold a blend of ideologies, including those that justify acts of violence to influence change.
The rise of individual grievance narratives and how they are expressed, are impacting society’s ability to find common ground. Increasingly it is leading to a normalisation of provocative and inflammatory behaviours contrary to community standards and liberal democratic values. Global events such as the conflict in the Middle East have resonated in Australia and will continue to do so.
Terrorism and violent extremism around the world also endure. Islamic State (IS) and its affiliates have demonstrated their capability to conduct large-scale external operations. They are almost certainly building on recent successes to plan and conduct further attacks with an intent to target the West and would consider Australia a legitimate target.
Social media is a key driver of volatility, acting as a gateway and platform for violent ideologies and global influences to promulgate at volume and scale. The continued adoption and proliferation of social media will amplify and enable extremist narratives to find new adherents. Younger people are particularly at risk.
The compounding effects of these issues has resulted in a volatile domestic security environment. This environment has the potential for an increase in acts of politically motivated violence, including terrorism, to occur across all ideological spectrums.
What is terrorism?
Terrorism is one form of politically motivated violence, comprising a specific set of activities defined in section 4 of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 (The ASIO Act). These include:
- Acts or threats of violence that are intended or likely to achieve a political objective, either in Australia or overseas.
- Acts or threats of violence intended to influence the policy of a government, either in Australia or overseas.
- Acts that involve violence or are likely to lead to violence, and are directed to overthrowing or destroying the government or the system of Australian Government.
- Acts that are defined as terrorism offences.
- Certain other acts, defined in Australian legislation, relating to the taking of hostages or activities conducted on ships, offshore platforms or aircraft.
Terrorist acts and related offences are further defined in the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act 1995. These include:
- Acts or threats of violence that are done to advance a political, ideological or religious cause, either in Australia or overseas.
- Acts or threats of violence intended to coerce or influence through intimidation a part of government, either in Australia or overseas.
- Acts or threats of violence that are done to intimidate the public or a section of the public.
What is violent extremism?
Violent extremism is the support for violence to achieve social, political or legal outcomes or in response to specific political or social grievances. ASIO uses two umbrella terms for violent extremism—ideologically motivated violent extremism (IMVE) and religiously motivated violent extremism (RMVE).
- IMVE denotes support for violence to achieve political outcomes or in response to specific political or social grievances.
- RMVE denotes support for violence to oppose or achieve a specific social, political or legal system based on a religious interpretation.
Find out more about why we use the term violent extremism.
What is communal violence?
Globalisation, digital disruption, ideological disagreements, historical conflicts between different ethnic and religious groups, and changing societal expectations can highlight perceived differences and create tension in our community. Communal violence is when these differences lead some people to promote violence against their perceived opponents with the intention of endangering the peace, order or good government of Australia.
The communal violence threat environment in Australia
Overseas events - particularly conflicts - can be highly emotive, which resonate differently across the broader Australian community. While communal violence in Australia is not common, we have seen isolated incidents involving diaspora communities in Australia reacting to specific events overseas. Communal tensions are generally expressed through public events and demonstrations aimed at drawing the attention of the broader Australian community to specific issues.
Legitimate protest activity can be an impactful tool for communities and groups to address their concerns. Most protests resolve peacefully, however violence is occurring, and we are seeing some individuals and groups more willing to engage in violence, driven by a range of grievances.
What ASIO does to counter terrorism and violent extremism
Our role in countering terrorism and violent extremism is to predict and anticipate terrorist acts, other forms of politically motivated violence and communal violence. Unlike law enforcement agencies, which are responsible for gathering evidence to prosecute people, ASIO’s unique value lies in our ability to identify and investigate people who are planning or threatening acts of violence that are intended to influence government policy, have a political objective, or undermine the Australian system of government. By being able to anticipate emerging threats, we can work with law enforcement agencies and partners to mitigate the threats.