The Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (Etidal) has emerged as an outstanding model for countering extremism, making significant efforts in removing online extremist content.
In a new milestone, Etidal announced that its collaboration with Telegram messaging app resulted in the removal of more than 100 million of extremist content, underscoring the significance of such partnership in combating extremist content and terrorist propaganda.
A New Milestone
In a press release, Etidal said on Monday that it has managed to remove over 31 million extremist content items from Telegram during the fourth quarter of 2024. This achievement has brought the total number of removed extremist content to more than 160 million since Etidal and Telegram started collaboration in 2021.
In 2022, both parties enhanced their cooperation in removing extremist and terrorist content from Telegram. They focused their efforts on bolstering frameworks to protect communities from extremist propaganda. To this end, they have monitored and removed online extremist content. They have also closed channels linked to terrorist organizations on Telegram.
Fruitful Collaboration
Commenting on Etidal’s success in removing over 160 million extremist content items, the management team of Telegram platform expressed its appreciation for Etidal’s efforts to combat online extremism, which fall within the framework of their partnership.
It also stressed that their partnership aligns with Etidal’s efforts to foster joint cooperation to protect communities from the threat of extremism and promote the values of moderation and peace worldwide.
Furthermore, Telegram emphasized that it will not be a platform for extremist content and terrorist propaganda. “There is no place for incitement to violence or terrorist propaganda on Telegram,” it wrote on its official website.
Etidal: A Bulwark against Extremist Ideologies
Etidal is a non-profit organization based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The center was established in 2017 under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Etidal aims to fight extremist ideology and promote a counter-narrative that promotes moderation. It combats extremism by refuting the extremist content and combating its impact; countering extremist ideology; raising awareness through promoting moderation, tolerance and coexistence; and promoting international partnerships to counter extremist ideology.
To achieve its strategic objectives, Etidal focuses on harnessing advanced technology and innovative software tools that have the capability to detect, classify and analyze any extremist content on social media platforms, the Internet and other media outlets.
It also relies on an esteemed team of multidisciplinary researchers who are skilled in using big data analytical tools, and have the geopolitical, social, and historical expertise required to provide in-depth analyses and actionable insights on different extremist groups.
Etidal Anti-extremist Initiatives
Since its launch, Etidal introduced several initiatives and projects to boost its efforts in countering extremism. These include the Moderate Initiative, which aims to encourage community cooperation in combating extremist ideology. It also launched Tafneed, an initiative that intends to dismantle and refute the extremist ideology circulating online and on social media platforms.
Furthermore, Etidal launched the Research Collaboration service, which aims to help postgraduate students in their thesis and studies of combating extremist ideology by providing them with the necessary data and information. In its first phase, the service is available to postgraduate students inside Saudi Arabia. But in its second phase, it will be available to students worldwide.
Etidal also launched the University Training project, which aims to support university graduates and develop their skills across various fields by training them on countering extremist ideology and enriching their knowledge on the values of coexistence.
Moreover, the center launched the Gether2 Initiative, which offers its services to people with hearing disabilities, raising their awareness about the risks of extremism.
International Cooperation
Since its establishment, Etidal has fostered its cooperation with international and regional organizations to strengthen its efforts. In addition to its partnership with Telegram, Etidal signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in 2021 with the UN Counter-Terrorism Center (UNCCT) to bolster cooperation in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism.
Etidal’s efforts in fighting extremism have gained global recognition. Throughout 2024, delegations from across the world flocked to Riyadh to meet the center’s Secretary-General, Mansour Al-Shammari, discuss cooperation, and get in-depth insights into Etidal’s strategies to combat extremist content and promote moderation.
These included delegations from the European Union (EU); the Counter Terrorism Network for Asia and Oceania; and the US, in addition to representatives from countries including Italy, Malaysia, and New Zealand.
Moreover, the US Department of State in January 2024 praised Saudi Arabia’s efforts in combating terrorism and terrorist financing. In the light of this, it commended the pivotal role of government and non-government institutions, including Etidal, in combating terror and hate speech, as well as promoting moderation and tolerance.
