WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, introduced legislation and announced a hearing for this Tuesday to examine how foreign terrorist organizations use the internet and emerging technology to recruit, radicalize, and inspire attacks in the homeland.

Chairman Pfluger introduced the “Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act,” which would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct annual assessments on terrorism threats to the U.S. posed by terrorist organizations like ISIS and al Qaeda, utilizing generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) applications for terroristic activity. 

This Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 2:00 PM ET, the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence will hold a hearing entitled “The Digital Battlefield: How Terrorists Use the Internet and Online Networks for Recruitment and Radicalization.” Witnesses for the hearing will be announced here. 

“With a resurgence of emboldened terrorist organizations across the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia, emerging technology serves as a potent weapon in their arsenal. More than two decades after the September 11 terrorist attacks, foreign terrorist organizations now utilize cloud-based platforms, like Telegram or TikTok, as well as artificial intelligence in their efforts to radicalize, fundraise, and recruit on U.S. soil,” Chairman Pfluger said. “Tragically, the radicalization of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who took 14 innocent lives in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, illustrated the deadly impact of terrorist propaganda. As a former fighter pilot who fought against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, bolstering our nation’s security posture remains my top priority––and I know it’s a top priority for Texans. I am proud to lead this effort to stay ahead of an evolving terror threat landscape before it endangers Americans.”

Earlier this year, Chairman Pfluger also reintroduced the “Countering Online Radicalization and Terrorism Act,” to require DHS to conduct annual assessments on terrorism threats posed to the United States by terrorist organizations like ISIS, al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, and others, utilizing foreign cloud-based mobile and desktop messaging applications like Telegram.

Background:

GenAI is a rapidly emerging technology that can produce numerous kinds of content, such as text, images, or audio, when prompted by a user. Foreign terrorist organizations are actively seeking ways to exploit GenAI to support a variety of violent extremist tactics, techniques, and procedures, such as using AI-powered chatbots, to interact with potential recruits. For example, just last year, a group affiliated with al Qaeda launched a workshop to enhance skills in using AI and related software. 

Foreign cloud-based mobile and desktop messaging applications like TikTok and Telegram have allowed their platforms to become a breeding ground for radical extremism. FTOs like Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, al Qaeda, and others frequently use these mobile and desktop applications to recruit new members, fundraise, provoke others to violence, and coordinate terrorist activity. ISIS has even urged its supporters to connect with ISIS contacts on Telegram to discuss matters like travel and plans for carrying out terrorist attacks against Americans. 

In 2023, millions of TikTok users viewed videos glorifying Osama bin Laden’s “Letter to America,” which attempted to promote and justify al-Qaeda’s terrorist attack against the United States on September 11, 2001. Pro-ISIS TikTok accounts have also been found celebrating a recent attack in Paris, where a man who had allegedly videotaped a pledge of allegiance to ISIS killed a man and hurt two others using a hammer and a knife. 

Homeland Republicans continue to sound the alarm on heightened threats to the homeland from homegrown violent extremists inspired by foreign terrorist organizations like ISIS. 

·     In a briefing earlier this year on the terrorist attack in New Orleans, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed the ISIS-inspired attacker. However, they have not found any evidence that he was directed or tasked by ISIS or any other foreign actor. In videos posted just before the attack, the attacker pledged allegiance to ISIS ideology.

·     In the wake of the attack, the Committee released an updated “Terror Threat Snapshot” assessment, highlighting the persistent terror threat to America. From April 2021 to January 2025, there were more than 50 prosecuted cases of Jihadist extremism in the U.S. 

·     Chairman Pfluger also recently cosponsored Rep. Morgan Luttrell's (R-TX) “Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act,” to require DHS to evaluate the threat posed to the United States by individuals in Syria with ties to FTOs or a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organization (SDGT).