Terrorists actively use social media networks to spread their propaganda and recruit fighters as well as copycats. Should social media be regulated and, if so, how?
The deadly terrorist attacks on Paris in early January triggered an unprecedented movement of protests throughout the world, from peaceful protests in Paris in support of the victims to more recent counter protests in Arab countries against the new edition of Charlie Hebdo. 2015 has barely started, and social media are already raging. The role of social media behind such movements is not new – their ability to shape social movements has long been recognised; what the recent events have sadly shown is that social media have become a cornerstone of extremist groups’ strategies. Put simply, more than being an ideological battleground, social media now act as the backbone of extremists’ organisations, with the deadly consequences that we know.
How do extremists leverage social media?
If there is one topic all experts invited to comment on the attacks agree about, it is the fact that extremists are really good - significantly better than most businesses or states - in their use of social media. For instance, Islamic State (IS) has become a master at social media communication, from content creation and communication. It publishes four to five videos per week, with content that is easy to understand, often extreme and/or practical, increasing its potential to become viral. It explains its strategy to potential recruits, using new recruits as brand ambassadors. They tweet selfies from the desert in Syria, and post photos of luxuries such as Red Bull with the hashtag #FiveStarJihad. They post threats to their home countries with emoticons and internet acronyms to appeal to the young and restless back home.