Exploiting Encrypted Networks: A CPM Analysis of Telegram's Role in Extremist Propaganda and Radicalization by Terrorist Organisations

Abstract

In recent years, Telegram has emerged as a significant digital platform for terrorist organisations looking for a safe and secure online medium to disseminate their propaganda and supplement operational coordination. The research paper explores the role of Telegram in facilitating the propagation of extremist ideologies, communication, and planning of terrorist activities. Using qualitative study and policy review, the paper seeks to highlight challenges related to the privacy policy of Telegram and its potential misuse by terrorist organisations. Utilizing Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory, the paper demonstrates how encrypted communications enable terrorist organisations like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate with minimal detection. The findings focus on the role of encryption in providing safe channels for terrorist groups to radicalize youth and spread extremism.  This study also contributes to the growing body of literature on cyber-extremism by offering insights into the regulatory challenges of encrypted platforms and calls for the establishment of an internationally coordinated framework to mitigate extremist exploitation of digital communication tools like Telegram.