The Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police has told a late-night Senate Estimates hearing that “fully integrated technology” is behind a rise in sudden violent incidents and behaviour.
After opening with condolences to the Member for Indi, Dr Helen Haines, in the wake of the alleged vehicular attack last week, Commissioner Krissy Barrett admitted “there is a heaviness that hangs across Australia after the horrifying event”.
“Across the world, we are witnessing a trend where violence emerges with little or no warning, particularly where individuals do not have a protection intelligence footprint,” Commissioner Barrett said on Tuesday evening.
“Lone actors are being motivated by a convergence of personal grievances, mental health vulnerabilities, and ideological concerns.”
According to the Commissioner, where once distance and analogue systems kept Australians safe, social media and artificial intelligence are creating danger closer to home.
“Tech has enabled an instant pipeline of hate. This pipeline of rapid rage, often unhinged and violent, is being home-delivered to the places we work because of the devices we use,” Commissioner Barrett said.
“The threats are instant and voluminous. And they instantly shock and cause legitimate fear. Perceived or real anonymity have given cowards courage.
“When I am asked what has changed in recent years, this is what has changed – the vector of tech and social media is converging with the angry, the haters, the unstable and the amoral, who wrongly believe threats and violence are tolerable if their cause is noble.”
Commissioner Barrett said that the Jewish community has been a particular target of online hate, adding that “Antisemitism is often the early warning sign of a decay in our society”.
“History shows us this,” she said.
“Words can become deeds that forever change our country’s values and moral compass.”
The Commissioner also turned to the results of research commissioned while she was Deputy Commissioner National Security, which has now been finalised. The data compiled from 55 Joint Counter Terrorism Team youth cases that took place between 2020 and 2025 suggests a clear link between online spaces and the risk of radicalisation.
“The 55 cases involved youths aged between 12 and 17 years. All were boys and none were entirely radicalised in the physical world. They were radicalised all, or in part, online,” Commissioner Barrett said.
“Overall, more than one ideology was held, underscoring the complexity of terrorism investigations.
“In terms of ideology, jihadist extremism was the most prevalent, followed closely by anti-government/anti-authority or white supremacist ideology.”
Clearly defined ideologies, the Commissioner said, were becoming less common. Instead, an increasing number of youths are espousing a confusing mix of often clashing and confusing ideologies.
And while many do come from a background of family violence or mental health issues, others come from stable backgrounds.
“The research underscores that there is no single profile of a radicalised young person and no one pathway to violent extremism,” the Commissioner said.
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?Make Cyber Daily a preferred news source on Google.
