A dark web: Terror outfits are grooming Asian youth online

Countries must adapt counter-terrorism efforts to digital realities

- KARISHMA VASWANI

Indonesia hasn't suffered a major terror attack in more than two years. But this calm is deceptive. The threat has shifted online, making it harder to detect, and potentially more insidious.

This isn’t an isolated problem. Islamic State used online radicalization and recruitment to draw fighters to Syria and Iraq, extending its influence to the Sahel and Afghanistan. But recently, the digital terror threat is becoming more urgent in Southeast Asia. Singapore's latest security assessment warns of a worrying trend of individuals being exposed to extremist groups on social media. Physical training camps or sermons are no longer necessary for extremist ideology to spread, raising the risk of homegrown attacks and complicating counterterrorism efforts.

Indonesia and the Philippines remain among some of the worst affected by terrorism in the region, along with Myanmar and Thailand, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2025. Jakarta and Manila’s scores improved, but their governments cannot afford to ignore future threats. Radicalization, recruitment and financing are moving into the digital space, so the challenge is shifting shape.