Australia opens first online threat centre to combat terrorism
Australia has launched its first dedicated online counter-terrorism centre as authorities raise concerns about the growing number of young people being radicalised through the internet.
The new Counter Terrorism Online Centre (CTOC), which opens in Sydney on Friday, will bring together the capabilities of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) to identify and respond to online security threats.
The move follows warnings from AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett, who told a Senate estimates hearing in October that children, including boys as young as 12, were being radicalised online.
AFP analysis of 55 radicalised children aged between 12 and 17 found that every case involved online radicalisation, either entirely or partly.
The new centre will monitor potential threats across social media, online gaming platforms, internet forums and the dark web. Its focus will include identifying individuals and extremist groups promoting hatred, encouraging violence or planning attacks.
The CTOC will also act as an early warning system, helping authorities identify threats before they develop into serious security incidents.
Commissioner Barrett said online extremism had created a rapidly changing security environment, with young people sometimes becoming radicalised within a very short period.
She said the centre would strengthen Australia's ability to identify dangerous online activity and respond to emerging threats.
ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said online operations were increasingly important because extremists often communicate through encrypted platforms and may show few warning signs in their everyday lives.
He revealed that ASIO had recently infiltrated an international neo-Nazi group on Telegram and identified an Australian child who was praising convicted terrorists and researching methods of carrying out attacks.
The investigation established the child's identity. As the individual was under 16 and considered to be at an early stage of radicalisation, authorities referred the case to a Countering Violent Extremism Program.
The new centre will also work with international security partners, providing a central contact point for sharing intelligence and warnings about online threats.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke will officially open the facility. The centre forms part of the Australian Government's $180.2 million, four-year national security investment announced following the 2025 counter-terrorism report, A Safer Australia.
The CTOC itself has received $74 million in funding.
Minister Burke said the centre would bring together federal security agencies to respond more effectively to online threats, regardless of the ideology or platform involved.
It will operate alongside existing joint national security capabilities focused on child protection, foreign interference and cybercrime, while supporting the work of state and territory police.
The government says the initiative will strengthen Australia's ability to detect online extremism, prevent radicalisation and protect the community.
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Source : 9 News
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