The document summarizes the work of HackingCT - Week 8. It discusses using technology, government, and at-risk communities to combat extremist messaging in a bottom-up manner. It details 12 interviews conducted so far with 90 total. The goal is to bring credible former extremists and family/friends of radicalized individuals together to provide help and information to those at risk of radicalization through an anonymous textline. The proposed MVP and mission model canvas are described.

1. HackingCT - Week 8
Anusha Balakrishnan, Gloria Chua, Hyeryung Chloe Chung, Jianyang Lum,
Vinaya Polamreddi
Online communication networks play a huge role in
spreading violent extremist propaganda, and these networks
are exploited by terrorist groups to recruit fighters. Our goal
is to bring together technology, government, and at-risk
communities to combat extremist messaging in a bottom-
up, community-driven fashion.
# Interviews: 12
# Total: 90
Sponsor: CT/CVE Bureau
Mentors: Andrew Moore,
Tom Bedecarre

2. Customer Discovery
Principles/Hypotheses Who we talked to New things we learnt
Former extremists are a credible
source for at-risk individuals to listen
to.
Radicalization Awareness
Network (EU), Oxford
DPhil student
‘Formers’ perceived as ‘traitors’ by at-risk
individuals
Bystanders (e.g. friends and family)
have a strong desire to intervene
but currently don’t have enough
support to do so.
Booz Allen Hamilton
(security consulting,
similar CVE projects),
Jeremy, CVE Task Force
Shift space into friends/family - possibly easier to
reach out to captive audience
Hotlines might not be effective for
CVE.
WORDE, RAN In Austria, the CVE hotline had 115 calls in the first
50 days of launch.
Our resources step into tricky
liability territories.
Booz Allen Hamilton Include Terms of Service that emphasize
anonymity and non-liability
We can learn a lot from suicide
interventions as analogous
situations.
Lean on Me, RAN, Jeremy Consider peer counsellors as effective messenger,
and to scale.

3. MVP - Redirect peers and family of at-risk individuals to anonymous, 2-way
communication with experts (former extremists, families of radicalized individuals,
peer counsellors) to seek help on how to help their peers / family members

4. Text TALK to +1 (800) 727 8255
Preventing Radicalization Textline - Minneapolis
You will not be asked to reveal personal information at any point.
how to stop a friend from joining isis

6. Mission Model Canvas
Key Partners
Moonshot CVE,
Jigsaw, Google Ads
ISD(Institute of
Strategic
Dialogue)/SCN(Stron
g Cities Network)
Previous extremists,
Families of
former/current
fighters, former ISIS
hostages
Key Activities
Find previous
extremists and other
actors (parents of
fighters, people held
hostage by ISIS, etc.)
Establish credibility as
a source of unbiased
information
Key Resources
Previous Extremists
CVE-specific groups
with CVE networks
Support staff to update
platform and maintain
response time and
anonymity
Mission Budget/Costs
Cost of maintaining platform
Value Proposition
Provide information about effective
and safe intervention mechanisms to
intervene into their loved one’s life
and coping strategies to deal with
the process; information given
directly from those that have been
through similar ordeal
Provide thorough information from
credible sources to individuals that
are considering radicalization to
prevent them from continuing down
that path.
Can understand the questions and
perspectives of individuals at risk
and empower previous extremists to
share their stories and information
Deployment:
Identify NGOs that have
connections to networks of actors
Partner with NGOs:to maintain and
curate safe spaces, and bridge gap
between individuals and actors
Repurpose existing platforms
Pilot a project in a specific region
Deploy in other regions
Buy-In/Support
CT/CVE Bureau
Previous Extremists and CVE
groups with strong networks:
Quilliam, Hayat-Deutschland, AVE
Individuals at risk for radicalization
Peer counselling groups
Beneficiaries
Family and friends of those
at risk of recruitment
Individuals at risk of
recruitment
CT/CVE Bureau, S/R of the
Muslim Communities in
State and other possible
sponsors invested in
extremism
Mission Achievement
High clickthrough rate to our service, high usage of service and most importantly how many
conversations result in a better than alternative outcome for friends and families of individuals at
risk of recruitment.

7. Critical Resources
- Technical: Online messaging system that connects individuals in an
encrypted way
- Work with Lean on Me, Crisis Text Line to figure out how they do it
- Human: Committed expert pool (e.g. peer counsellors, former extremists,
parents of extremists etc.)
- If ISIS can engage individuals one-on-one to recruit them to come to Syria, there must be
motivation from our side to dissuade them
- Human: Staff to coordinate efforts
- Filter and redirect relevant questions and monitor harmful narratives
- Intellectual: Standard intervention protocol
- E.g. in Suicide Prevention, there is Question - Persuade - Refer
- Legal: Liability and terms of service

8. Critical Activities
Now +1 mth +2 mths +3 mths
Legal: Terms
of Service
Messenger:
Commit 5 people
Technology:
Find and test tech platform
Protocol: Determine v1
intervention protocol
Distribution: Work with
Google on white box / ads
Pilot: In 2 geographic
locations (Minneapolis, Luton)
Experiment:
Clickthrough
rates for fake
website/
interest form?

9. Critical Partners
Category Who They provide We provide
Technical Jigsaw & Lean on Me
(Tech side)
Established anonymous
messaging tech + protocol
This project - a (possibly)
successful CVE effort that
aligns with their aims + gives
them CSR
Human (Committed
expert pool)
‘Formers’ + CVE experts Know-hows on deradicalization
pathways
Targeted channel to push their
CVE messaging across
SAVE / ISD First-hand experience and they
are our deployers
Ways to reach out to the
vulnerable population
Legal State Department Legal Legal advice on terms of service A S/D project that requires
support

10. Next steps: Validate + Secure Resources
- Experiment: Run experiment
- Tech + Protocol: Learn from current peer counselling networks
- E.g. (Suicide) Lean on Me, Stanford Bridge Peer Counselling
- E.g. (CVE) Austrian Deradicalization hotline (115 calls in first 50 days)
- Legal: Figure out Terms of Service
- Messenger: Convince former extremists, women against violent extremism etc.
to provide their help

11. Other U.S.
Government
Agencies and
Departments
U.S. Government
Countering Violent Extremism Efforts
Global Engagement
Center (GEC)
Bureau of Counterterrorism and CVE/
Office of CVE (CT/CVE)
Shared Activities:
• External
Partnerships
• Capacity Building
to Empower
Local Partners
to Develop
Strategic
Messaging
Specific Activities:
• Data Analytics
• Content
• Internal Government
Coordination on
Messaging
Mission Statement: Work
to address the life cycle of
radicalization.
Key Differences:
• GEC: international CT messaging. It is
a pillar of the U.S. government’s
Counter-ISIL strategy. It is an
interagency body housed in the State
Department that reports to R created
by (WH) Executive Order.
• CT/CVE is focused on international CT
and CVE and serves as the central
coordination point for CVE within the
Department of State and with other
agencies as an integral part of the
U.S. government’s CT and CVE
strategies. It works with local
partners to alleviate the
conditions conducive to the spread of
violent extremism and focuses on
mobilizing international engagement,
promoting best practices, and
empowering credible, local voices to
speak out against violence.
Specific Activities:
• Expand International Efforts
• Encourage Better Policies
Globally
• Use Foreign Assistance to
Address Drivers of Violent
Extremism
• Empower Credible Voices
Against Violent Extremism
• Strengthen Partner
Capabilities
Mission Statement:
Leads coordination of
U.S. Government-wide
communications
directed at foreign
audiences to counter
and diminish the
influence of terrorist
organizations.
U.S. Department of State