International tabletop exercise organised to further bolster cross-sector collaboration in the aftermath of a terrorist attack
On 7 March 2024, Europol, in cooperation with the European Commission, organised a tabletop exercise to test the revised EU Crisis Protocol.
The exercise took place in the framework of the EU Internet Forum and examined the collaboration between government authorities and the tech industry to contain the viral spread of terrorist and violent extremist content online in the aftermath of a terrorist event.
Among the tested elements was the interaction of the EU Crisis Protocol with the new obligation for hosting service providers, introduced by article 14.5 of Regulation (EU) 2021/784 on addressing the dissemination of terrorist content online, to promptly inform competent authorities when they become aware of terrorist content involving an imminent threat to life.
Who was involved?
This year’s exercise brought together law enforcement representatives involved in applying both the EU Crisis Protocol and Regulation (EU) 2021/784, online service providers, the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT), as well as policymakers from governments and EU bodies.
A rapid, coordinated response to terrorist content online
The EU Crisis Protocol, adopted by the Justice and Home Affairs Ministers in October 2019, is a voluntary mechanism that allows EU Member States and online platforms to respond rapidly and in a coordinated manner to the dissemination of terrorist content online in the event of a terrorist attack, while ensuring strong data protection and fundamental rights safeguards.
The development of the Protocol came about in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2019, whereby leaders from governments, tech industry, civil society and the European Commission agreed on the ‘Christchurch Call for Action’. Since then, other crisis mechanisms have been developed both at a national level and by the tech sector.
The practical implementation of the Protocol is tested annually through tabletop exercises. Following several tabletop exercises and the activation of the Protocol in 2020, the EUCP was revised in 2023 to integrate lessons learned. Main changes in the update include the clarification of the relationship between the voluntary EU Crisis Protocol and the Regulation (EU) 2021/784, in particular Art. 14(5), refined activation criteria, greater focus on interoperability with other crisis response mechanisms, stronger protection of fundamental freedoms, among other through debrief processes, and guidance on the response to bystander footage.
Europol has undertaken a central role in the EU Crisis Protocol implementation by managing the coordination of information exchange and communication among relevant stakeholders in a rapid and secure manner. Recent acts of terrorism in France (Arras, Paris), Belgium (Brussel) and the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas against Israel have further demonstrated the importance of disrupting the dissemination of terrorist and violent extremist propaganda during, and in the aftermath of, terrorist attacks, while at the same time supporting investigations. Europol hosts targeted tabletop exercises in order to enhance cross-sector collaboration and further advance the EU Crisis Protocol processes.
Source – Europol