- Listing of Terrorgram
- This review of the listing of Terrorgram as a terrorist organisation is conducted under section 102.1A of the Schedule to the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Criminal Code). That section provides that the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (Committee) may review regulations specifying an organisation as a terrorist organisation and report its comments and recommendations to each House of the Australian Parliament.
- On 26 June 2025, regulations to list Terrorgram as a terrorist organisation under Division 102 of the Criminal Code were signed by the Governor-General. The regulations were lodged on the Federal Register of Legislation and came into effect on 27 June 2025.
- The regulations were tabled in the House of Representatives and in the Senate on 22July 2025.
- This is the first time Terrorgram has been listed as a terrorist organisation under the Criminal Code.
- This report consists of one chapter which discusses the legislative procedure for listing a terrorist organisation under Division 102 of the Criminal Code, the grounds for the listing of Terrorgram articulated by the Government, and matters raised in submissions provided to the Committee. The chapter concludes with the Committee’s comments in relation to the listing of Terrorgram.
Conduct of the review
1.6The Committee commenced its review on 27 August 2025 and invited public submissions on its website and via media release.
1.7On 2 September 2025 the Minister for Home Affairs, Hon Tony Burke MP, wrote to the Committee to advise of the listing. The letter included the relevant regulations; an explanatory statement incorporating a Statement of Reasons for the listing; and a description of the process followed for the listing. The letter was accepted as Submission 1 to this review.
1.8The Committee received one further submission to the review, from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia. A list of submissions received is provided in Appendix A to this report. The Committee received a private briefing from the Department of Home Affairs in relation to the listing, in Canberra on 4 September 2025.
Terrorist organisation listings under the Criminal Code
1.9Section 102.1 of the Criminal Code provides for the Governor-General to specify an organisation, by regulations, as a terrorist organisation for the purposes of Division102, where the Minister for the Australian Federal Police (AFP)—the Minister for Home Affairs—is satisfied on reasonable grounds that the organisation:
- is directly or indirectly engaged in, preparing, planning, assisting in or fostering the doing of a terrorist act; or
- advocates the doing of a terrorist act.
- The effect of regulations listing an organisation as a terrorist organisation is to trigger the application of the offences in Division 102 of the Criminal Code. Subdivision B of Division 102 sets out the following offences:
- directing the activities of a terrorist organisation (section 102.2)
- being a member of a terrorist organisation (section 102.3)
- recruiting for a terrorist organisation (section 102.4)
- providing, receiving, or participating in training involving a terrorist organisation (section 102.5)
- getting funds to, from or for a terrorist organisation (section 102.6)
- providing support to a terrorist organisation (section 102.7)
- associating with a terrorist organisation (section 102.8).
- The Protocol for listing terrorist organisations (the Protocol) states that listing an organisation as a terrorist organisation has the potential to disrupt terrorism-related activities and serve as a deterrent. It places members of the public on notice that the organisation is a terrorist organisation under Australian law, which triggers the offences above. Listing an organisation as a terrorist organisation also demonstrates that the Australian Government does not condone the actions of groups that use terrorism to achieve their political, religious or ideological objectives.
- The Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Prohibited Hate Symbols and Other Measures) Act 2023 repealed Subsection 102.1(3) of the Criminal Code, which previously provided that listings under Section 102.1 cease to have effect (‘sunset’) on the third anniversary of the day on which they take effect. Amendments made by that Act also exempted these regulations from ten-year sunsetting provisions which otherwise apply to all legislative instruments. As a result, regulations listing terrorist organisations under the Criminal Code no longer sunset. Organisations can only be de-listed by a Ministerial declaration under Subsection 102.1(4).
Procedure for listing terrorist organisations under the Criminal Code
1.13Both the Protocol and section 102.1 of the Criminal Code establish procedures which must be followed when listing an organisation as a terrorist organisation.
1.14Before the Governor-General makes regulations listing an organisation, the AFP Minister and agencies may consider both legislative and non-legislative criteria, as well as the publicly available Statement of Reasons provided by the Department of Home Affairs.
1.15The AFP Minister considers all advice provided and consults a range of other Australian Government agencies about the listing decision.
1.16Once the Minister is satisfied that an organisation meets the threshold for listing and before regulations are made, the Minister advises the Prime Minister, advises the Leader of the Opposition and offers them a briefing, and writes to the First Ministers of all States and Territories seeking their agreement to the listing.
1.17The regulations are then presented to the Governor-General for approval. The listing comes into effect either on the day after the regulations are lodged on the Federal Register of Legislation, or on the commencement date listed in the regulations if that is different.
1.18The Statement of Reasons for listing Terrorgram is included in Submission 1 from the Minister for Home Affairs. The Department of Home Affairs’ description of the full process undertaken for the listing of Terrorgram is also provided in Submission 1.
Terrorgram
1.19According to the Statement of Reasons, Terrorgram (also known as the Terrorgram Collective) is a Nationalist and Racist Violent Extremist (NRVE) organisation comprising a group of persons who use a network of various online channels, primarily the online messaging application Telegram.
1.20Terrorgram is an organisation consisting of leaders and members who create and distribute propaganda with the intent to inspire terrorist attacks on minority groups, critical infrastructure and specific individuals they deem against their values. The organisation advocates for and provides instructions on how to conduct a terrorist attack and has successfully inspired a number of terrorist attacks in the United States (US), Europe and Asia.
1.21The decentralised and encrypted online environment of Terrorgram allows the organisation to operate internationally with few barriers, and with membership relatively easily attainable for Australians.
1.22Terrorgram uses a system of propaganda showcasing individuals who carry out acts of terrorism as ‘saints’, in order to encourage members to carry out similar attacks. A key concern is Terrorgram’s frequent promotion and praise of the 2019 Christchurch terrorist attack and perpetrator, which it uses as a propaganda tool to radicalise potential members, advocate terrorist actions, and spread its NRVE ideology.
1.23The Statement of Reasons provides further information on the history, ideology, leadership and activities of the organisation.
Legislative criteria for listing
1.24The Australian Government has assessed that the organisation known as Terrorgram advocates the doing of a terrorist attack.
1.25The Statement of Reasons sets out 4 examples of Terrorgram’s advocacy of terrorist acts. One example is as follows:
26 June 2024 – A 19-year-old Australian man attempted to livestream a terrorist attack targeting politician Tim Crakanthorp in Newcastle, New South Wales. The attack failed, but the individual uploaded a 205-page manifesto, which cited the 2019 Christchurch shooter (proclaimed a ‘Saint’ by Terrorgram) as inspiration and claims Telegram played a critical role in his radicalisation. Since this attack, the individual has been charged with one count of ‘attempting to commit a terrorist act’. Following the failure of the attack, Terrorgram members posted advice and instructions for how prospective future attackers could avoid the same failures and succeed in carrying out lone actor terrorist attacks. The users explicitly advocated for individuals to carry out more successful attacks through the provision of this advice.
1.26The Statement of Reasons adds that, following the failure of the Newcastle attack, users in several neo-Nazi chats associated with Terrorgram forwarded a detailed plan providing advice for future lone-actor attackers, emphasising the importance of ‘mental preparation’ when planning an attack to ensure that individuals planning their own attacks do not ‘fail’ in the same way.
Non-legislative criteria
1.27Listed in the Protocol, the non-legislative factors the Minister and agencies may also consider include:
- the organisation’s engagement in terrorism
- the organisation’s ideology
- links to other terrorist groups
- links to Australia
- threats to Australian interests
- listing by the United Nations or like-minded countries
- engagement in peace or mediation processes.
- In its Statement of Reasons, the Australian Government cited several non-legislative criteria that guided the Minister in his decision, including:
- Confirmed links to other listed terrorist organisations: The Base, National Socialist Order (also known as Atomwaffen Division) and Sonnenkrieg Division.
- Links to Australia and threats to Australia’s interests:
Due to its online and decentralised nature, Terrorgram is easily accessible for Australians. With an international and primarily English-language speaking user base, it is possible there are Australian Terrorgram members.
- Listings by likeminded countries:
On 26 April 2024, the UK Government listed the Terrorgram collective as a terrorist organisation. The UK Minister for Security cited Terrorgram’s production of three magazine-style publications and a 24-minute documentary video for propaganda purposes as a contributing factor to its listing. On 13 January 2025, the US Government listed The Terrorgram Collective as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group, as well as three of its leaders. In support of its listing of The Terrorgram Collective, the US cited the 2022 shooting outside of an LGBQT+ bar in Slovakia, the July 2024 planned attack on energy facilities in New Jersey and an August 2024 knife attack at a mosque in Turkey.
Deradicalisation and disengagement support
1.29The Committee asked the Department of Home Affairs about the deradicalisation support available to help young people to disengage from groups like Terrorgram. The Department drew the Committee’s attention to Australia’s Counter–Terrorism and Violent Extremism Strategy 2025, released in January 2025, as well as dedicated initiatives such as the Living Safe Together Intervention Program and the Step Together website.
Stakeholder views
1.30In its submission, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community supported Terrogram being listed as a terrorist organisation. It also supported allocation of resources to intelligence agencies for monitoring and disrupting Terrorgram’s activities, and preventative education and counter-extremism initiatives addressing white nationalist radicalisation. In doing so, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community spoke from its own perspective as a persecuted group:
We understand deeply what it means to live under the shadow of threats, intimidation, and hate motivated campaigns. This lived experience gives us a unique perspective. We know the cost of ignoring groups that preach exclusion, hatred, and violence against others.
… As representatives of a community that has long endured persecution, we urge Parliament to act with foresight and fairness. Hate—regardless of its source—must be confronted with equal resolve. By designating [Terrorgram] as a terrorist threat, Australia reaffirms its commitment to protecting all its citizens and safeguarding our shared values of peace, equality, and mutual respect.
Committee comment
1.31The Committee acknowledges that Terrorgram is different from other terrorist organisations listed under the Criminal Code. Terrorgram is an online network of individuals in an organisation with a decentralised structure largely operating in an encrypted environment. Nonetheless, based on the Statement of Reasons and information provided by the Department of Home Affairs at the private briefing, the Committee is satisfied that Terrorgram is both an ‘organisation’ for the purposes of the Criminal Code and is advocating the doing of terrorist acts.
1.32In reviewing the listing, the Committee was concerned to ensure that young people who may unintentionally find themselves viewing online material prepared by Terrorgram would not inadvertently be captured by terrorist offences because of the listing. The Committee was assured that, due to the requirement to prove knowledge and intention, the Criminal Code offences for membership of, support for and association with a terrorist organisation would not be made out simply because a person viewed or reacted to a post alone.
1.33At the same time, the Committee supports efforts to educate young people on how to avoid becoming mixed up with organisations like Terrorgram, exposing themselves to legal and personal risks, and to deter them from doing so. The Committee also strongly encourages efforts to better support young people to disengage from such groups.
1.34The Committee notes that the regulations listing Terrorgram commenced the day after the instrument was registered. It has been the practice, since 2008, that when an organisation is listed for the first time, the regulation does not usually commence until after the parliamentary disallowance period has expired. The Committee does however acknowledge that, due to an agreed minimum 4 week period for consultation with states and territories under the Intergovernmental Agreement on Australia’s National Counter-Terrorism Arrangements (2004), the timing of the 2025 federal election period, and the re-establishment of the Committee, commencing the listing after the disallowance period would have further delayed an already lengthy listing process.
1.35Overall, the Committee is satisfied that Terrorgram meets the definition of a terrorist organisation and that the listing has been properly made. As such, the Committee supports the listing of Terrorgram as a terrorist organisation under the Criminal Code and finds no reason to disallow the legislative instrument.
Senator Raff Ciccone
Chair
2 October 2025