Five Eyes Agencies Seek Tech Companies’ Cooperation to Combat Online Radicalisation

A new partnership between tech companies and law enforcement agencies was announced at a meeting of the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group in London.

A 14-year-old Australian boy posing at his home as he looks at social media on his mobile phone ahead of a national ban on Oct. 24, 2025. David GRAY/AFP via Getty Images

Two of the agencies responsible for national security—the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC)—have joined a multinational group within the Five Eyes security alliance, aimed at combating rising online threats.

A new partnership between technology companies and law enforcement agencies was announced at a meeting of the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group (FELEG) in London and comes amid a rise in online threats that are having serious impacts on young people and vulnerable communities.

“Parents and caregivers now need to be aware of entrenched and emerging criminal threats because of rapidly-evolving technology,” AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett warned in a speech. “Too many youth are now at the crossroads to crime or at risk of being another victim.”

FELEG will meet with representatives from major tech companies in a bid to enlist their cooperation.

“Criminals are using encrypted platforms, gaming platforms and other online chat groups to prey on, entice, or task youth to carry out serious crimes, including offences linked to terrorism,” Barrett said.

“Youth who would not normally come onto the radar of counter-terrorism police are now under investigation or face being charged with serious offences, including sharing or creating violent extremist material, which is desensitising generations to abhorrent violence.”

Barrett warned that current detection, reporting and investigative approaches cannot keep pace with the scale and speed of harm. The AFP and ACIC are working with tech companies to “disrupt harm before it happens,” using AI and algorithms that can detect and frustrate scammers, violence and serious criminality.

“For example, we could frustrate and deny criminals access to victims by engaging offenders in lengthy communications with a chat-bot where no harm is perpetuated on human victims,” Barrett suggested.

“Responsible tech companies can be the digital penicillin of our time, and we know many of them want to work with agencies like the AFP.”

ACIC CEO Heather Cook said such partnerships were important for protecting the community from online harm. She noted that organised crime groups were increasingly using technology to outsource violent crime, including arson attacks, shootings and other acts of violence.

“Increasing our collaboration with industry and technology providers is a critical enabler to countering today’s tech-enabled threats, and ensuring safety-by-design is a key design principle in future technology platforms,” she said.

The FELEG meeting runs until June 18 and includes representatives from the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, the UK’s Counter Terrorism Policing, New Zealand Police, the ACIC, and the AFP.