What is the relationship between the gig economy and terrorism?

The descriptive term gig economy was established in public discourse over the last decade to describe a specific work model. A few years later, it came to find application in controversial methods that transfer labor practices into the field of military strategy. A Definition and Fearport Beyond economics, the term also penetrates the field of security. The recent incident at the British Air Force base RAF Fairford, where five men, likely recruited from another country, were arrested for preparing a terrorist act before being released without being charged with specific offenses, is the latest in a series of similar events. The dual British-Iranian nationality of the sixth detainee points to involvement with Iran, and the British authorities have yet to find the end of the thread, despite pursuing and arresting seven individuals. “British security officials have been warning for years about the dangers posed by such conspiracies. Russia pioneered these, while Iran has taken over the mantle,” points out journalist Catherine McPhernlt in an article for the New York Times. She refers to her colleague Neil Macpharcard, who, analyzing the phenomenon, emphasizes that such actions include recruitment by states of individuals known as "consumable agents" or "intermediaries." “These are often petty criminals—sometimes even minors—who do not know who they are working for and agree to undertake a mission in exchange for cryptocurrency,” Macpharcard notes. From Russia to Iran Since the United States began military operations against Iran in February, approximately 20 small-scale attacks—with bombings and terrorist acts—have been recorded against Jewish and American targets in Europe and North America. A characteristic example is the case of a 37-year-old American former driver, Jonathan Lockhart, who participated in a contract for a death, guided by Tehran, to assassinate a known Iranian-American journalist and human rights activist, Masih Alinτζand. As proven, his accomplice had contacted an Iranian agent, who offered him $100,000 to locate and kill Alinτζand. Ultimately, the FBI managed to uncover and prevent the plan from being executed, arresting those involved. Russia is considered the first to teach this type of ad hoc recruitment. “The tasks they undertake to earn income—sometimes without knowing they are directed by a state like Russia— can include taking photos or videos of a specific location, operating drones, monitoring local operations, vandalizing a monument, tracking a person, or even worse, committing murder,” points out Mike Sinamon, a 24-year analyst for the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), in the Washington Times. It is worth noting that since February 2022 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the present, the Associated Press news agency has recorded 145 sabotage incidents likely involving Russian involvement in European countries. “It seems that, as in other areas of the gig economy,” the article stated, “the benefits generally belong to the employer,” commented the British think tank RUSI already in 2024 regarding the new trend, emphasizing the advantage of high-risk operations being carried out for a few tens of euros. This great variety of options, combined with the ideal cost-benefit relationship that makes this counter-war type of warfare attractive, is an appealing choice. “Such perpetrators may remain invisible to local security services and the police. They are integrated into society, maintaining a normal life otherwise, which makes them difficult to locate. They bear no state responsibility, but they do not hold the attention of government authorities. And they spread a climate of panic in the societies they target,” Sinamon adds. He concludes by proposing the use of Artificial Intelligence technologies and the coordination of organizations such as NATO and the European Centre for Citizen Action for Hybrid Threat Management (Hybrid CoE).