At ASIO we’re conscious that the names and labels we use are important. Words matter. They can be very powerful in how they frame an issue and how people think about it.
As national security threats evolve, ASIO’s ability to respond must also evolve. This includes ensuring our terminology remains fit for purpose in a complex, challenging and changing threat environment.
In 2021, we changed the umbrella terms we use to describe violent extremism to reflect emerging and evolving threats. The new language reinforces the fact that our counter-terrorism investigations focus on individuals or groups based on their use or advocacy of violence. ASIO does not investigate people solely because of their political views, so labels like ‘left’ and ‘right’ often distract from the real nature of the threat. They also no longer adequately describe the phenomena we are seeing.
A growing number of individuals and groups no longer fit on the left-right spectrum, rather they are motivated by fear of societal collapse or a specific social or economic grievance or conspiracy.
As we predicted when we updated our language, protests in Australia and overseas are being driven by anti-vaccination agendas, conspiracy theories and anti-government sovereign citizen beliefs.
ASIO now refers to two categories: ideologically motivated violent extremism (IMVE) and religiously motivated violent extremism (RMVE).
ASIO’s terminology focuses on an individual or group’s support for violence, which is what triggers ASIO’s interest.
However, it is important to note that these are umbrella terms to describe the threat categories. There may be times where ASIO needs to describe a specific threat that sits beneath them.
ASIO’s violent extremism terminology allows us to accurately and objectively describe those violent extremists who would seek to do Australia harm, regardless of their particular ideology or religious views.
As well as being more accurate, ASIO’s terminology offers more flexibility in referring to emerging threats. It allows us to make sure our advice is readily understood, and better reflects our role within the laws under which we operate.