Tier 2: Crisis

Tier 2 of the TCAP will have the function of alerting content in two contexts:

• Real-time alerts to law enforcement and tech platforms during a live crisis incident (live crisis content)

• Alerts to tech platforms of content relating to historical crisis incidents (Historical crisis content)

NOTE: Our Incident Response Policy will define the scope of what content is alerted by the TCAP during ongoing terrorism-related events, including content produced by the perpetrator(s) depicting, justifying, or amplifying their actions or motivations, and in some contexts bystander content. The Incident Response Policy is being carefully developed and will be launched and operational in the latter half of 2023. Therefore, Tier 2 will currently only cover historical crisis content.

Historical crisis content

In the context of the TCAP and its concern with alerting online content, “crisis content” is content directly and verifiably produced by a terrorist attack perpetrator or perpetrators depicting, justifying or amplifying their actions or motivations. In practice, this means a manifesto, livestream or other relevant material such as a video or statement produced by the attack perpetrator(s) or their associates. For our purposes, direct translations, audio versions or excerpts of manifestos will be in scope, as will edited versions of livestreams.

TCAP Support for the Christchurch Call to Action

In support of the Christchurch Call to Action, the TCAP initially expanded its Inclusion Policy to include material produced by the perpetrator of a terrorist attack in Christchurch in March 2019, who was designated as a terrorist entity by the New Zealand government in 2020. Since February 2021, the TCAP has alerted material produced by the perpetrator to tech companies, including the manifesto and copies of the livestream of the attack.

TCAP inclusion of material associated with individual attack perpetrators

The TCAP also includes promotional materials produced by other individual terrorists or violent extremists that have carried out terrorist acts when we find a legal basis for inclusion. This primarily relates to terrorist manifestos and livestreams when are they are banned or designated by democratic countries.

The TCAP includes the following publications and livestreams based on their classification as “objectionable content” by the New Zealand Classification Office:

• December 2021: Inclusion of the Norway attack perpetrator’s manifesto

• May 2022: Inclusion of the Buffalo attack perpetrator’s manifesto and livestream

• October 2022: Inclusion of the Bratislava attack perpetrator’s manifesto

• October 2022: Inclusion of the Halle attack perpetrator’s manifesto and livestream

• February 2024: Inclusion of the Jacksonville attack perpetrator's manifesto

TCAP expansion

As part of the TCAP’s expansion, we are planning to include more individual attack perpetrators and alert their content to tech platforms when we find it on their services. However, we will only begin this expansion following the publication of our Incident Response Policy, as it will provide a detailed framework for assessing “crisis content” and set criteria that material will have to meet prior to inclusion.