Stuart MacDonald

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT STUART MACDONALD

Stuart\'s research interests lie in criminal law and counterterrorism, particularly extremist and terrorist exploitation of online platforms and regulatory responses. He is Co-Director of Swansea University’s Cyber Threats Research Centre (CYTREC), lead organiser of the biennial #TASMConf (Terrorism and Social Media Conference), Coordinator of the VOX-Pol Network and Director of the VOX-Pol Institute. Stuart has received research funding from the British Academy, Welsh Government, US Government, NATO and the EU, among others. He is a member of the Steering Committee of Europol’s Advisory Network on Terrorism and Propaganda, a Senior Fellow at Hedayah and an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT). In 2016/17 he was also the holder of a Fulbright Cyber Security Award.Stuart’s most recent work has examined the implementation and operation of the UK\'s Online Safety Act and the EU\'s Terrorist Content Online Regulation. Prior to this, he conducted multidisciplinary research into violent jihadist narratives, their dissemination online, and legal and policy responses. He has also looked at cyberterrorism, examining definitional issues, threat assessment and questions of response. Earlier work includes projects on the construction and application of principles in counterterrorism policy, the notion that counterterrorism policy must balance security and liberty and Swansea’s approach to tackling youth anti-social behaviour. He has also written a number of other articles on the regulation of anti-social behaviour, considering such issues as the use of ASBOs against young people, the definition of anti-social behaviour and the classification of the ASBO as a civil remedy.