Budget provides for new counter-terrorism centre to fight online threat

A national centre to detect and disrupt the threat of online violent extremism and terrorism is to be set up by the federal government, with next week’s budget providing $74 million over two years for it.

The Counter Terrorism Online Centre will be led jointly by ASIO and the Australian Federal Police. They will work with local and international law enforcement authorities. The initiative reflects the mounting concern about how young people can be manipulated online by those engaged in terrorism.

Last week the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion released its interim report. After reviewing classified information, it observed that despite an overall increase in funding for the national intelligence community, “the proportion of funding allocated to counter-terrorism significantly declined across the NIC over the period from 2020 to 2025”.

However, the interim report has left some important questions hanging. These include:

• In view of the raising of the terrorism threat in August 2024, did ASIO seek additional funding from the government for counter terrorism before either the budget update in late 2024 or the 2025 budget? If not, why not?

• did ASIO reprioritise its own spending to give greater attention to counter terrorism after the raising of the threat level? If not, why not?

The royal commission is expected to address these questions when ASIO gives evidence before it, and in its final report. In the meantime, what information it has in relation to them remains secret.

This week has seen Jewish witnesses appear before the commission telling of their experiences, often horrific, of antisemitism in Australia.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said that at the new centre, specialist counter-terrorism investigators and intelligence analysts would monitor high-risk online spaces, assess threats and coordinate disruption of extremist content and activity, including by covert online engagement.

Burke said that often gaming platforms were used to target and recruit people. Private chat groups acted as echo chambers.

The radicalisation of young people online shows in the numbers.

Under legislation that took effect in early 2024, covering prohibited hate symbols and other measures, 27 people have been charged with violent extremist material offences. Of these, 15 were aged 17 or under.

Burke said: “More young Australians are being radicalised online, and it happens fast.

"We already have centres dedicated to protecting children and combatting cyber crime; establishing a centre for online violence extremism and terrorism is the next logical step in a fast-moving threat environment.

"The capability we’ve always had to monitor extremists in the meeting room now extends to the chat room,” he said in a statement.

“Everyone needs to be alert to potential threats from terrorist and extremist organisations online and I urge anyone who sees something that raises concerns to contact the National Security Hotline”.