Tech and Extremism Online

CEP has pioneered efforts to combat extremists’ radicalization and recruitment tactics online. CEP has called on Internet companies, in particular social media platforms, to take action and adopt policies to stop the misuse of social media and online tools, by identifying and exposing extremists who have weaponized social media platforms for their nefarious purposes. CEP is also developing a robust technological solution that will allow Internet and social media companies to quickly remove extremist content—images, video, and audio—from their platforms.

CEP Recommendations: Tackling Extremist Content Online

CEP set out a number of recommendations ahead of the release of the European Commission’s proposal on removal of terrorist content online in autumn 2018.

Extremists & Online Propaganda

The media arms of groups like ISIS, al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and al-Shabab produce propaganda in a myriad of textual, audio, and video forms––from music videos to glossy magazines––that have helped to convince individuals around the world to join extremist groups and to conduct deadly attacks in their home countries.

OK Google, Show Me Extremism: Analysis of YouTube’s Extremist Video Takedown Policy and Counter-Narrative Program

ISIS and other extremist groups, as well as their online supporters, have continued to exploit and misuse Google’s platforms to disseminate propaganda material, despite the company having repeatedly announced increased measures to combat online extremism.

Terrorists on Telegram

Terrorist and extremist groups use the encrypted messaging application Telegram to recruit new members, fundraise, incite to violence, and even coordinate terrorist activity.

ISIS Online: U.S. Rights and Responsibilities

ISIS is the most notable of the many extremist groups that have weaponized social media and messaging platforms to recruit, incite violence, and plot attacks, but U.S.-based companies continue to respond on a case-by-case basis if at all.

Terms of Service: Company Policies on Online Extremism

CEP has worked to outline and compare Internet and technology companies’ approaches to extremist content as it may appear on social media, messaging applications, websites, blogs, and video-hosting websites, among other platforms.

The Far Right on Facebook

Neo-Nazi, white supremacist, and far-right groups and online businesses maintain a presence on Facebook, the third most visited website on the Internet and the world’s largest social media network.

Guide to Online Propagandists

There is no shortage of extremist actors and ideologues online, and more must be done to eliminate radicalizing propaganda from the Internet.

Germany’s NetzDG: A Key Test for Combating Hate Online

This report examines the effectiveness of Germany’s Network Enforcement Act, or NetzDG law, in combating hate speech on the internet.

The eGLYPH Web Crawler: ISIS Content on YouTube

CEP has used two computer programs to locate ISIS videos on YouTube: a web crawler to search video titles and descriptions, and eGLYPH, a robust hashing content-identification system.

Spiders of the Caliphate: Mapping the Islamic State’s Global Support Network on Facebook

This report analyzes the strength of the Islamic State’s (IS) network on Facebook using online network measurement tools and uncovers the myriad of ways in which IS operates on Facebook.

James Mason’s Siege: Ties to Extremists

Siege is an anthology of violent pro-Nazi and pro-Charles Manson essays written by American neo-Nazi James Mason in the 1980s and first published as a single volume in 1992 that inspired a generation of neo-Nazis.

The Turner Diaries’ Ties to Extremists

The Turner Diaries, a 1978 novel about a race war and the creation of a white nation, has influenced transnational acts of murder, robbery, and terrorism.

Abdullah al-Faisal's Ties to Extremists

Abdullah al-Faisal is a U.S.-designated Islamist propagandist who has recruited for ISIS globally and facilitated travel to ISIS-held territory.

Ahmad Musa Jibril’s Ties to Extremists

Ahmad Musa Jibril is an Arab-American Islamist preacher who has reportedly influenced Westerners to fight in the Syrian conflict.

Yusuf al-Qaradawi's Ties to Extremists

Yusuf al-Qaradawi is a Qatar-based Islamist theologian and the unofficial chief ideologue of the Muslim Brotherhood who has called for the murder of Americans, gay people, and Jews.

News and Blogs

In Their Own Words:

We reiterate once again that the brigades will directly target US bases across the region in case the US enemy commits a folly and decides to strike our resistance fighters and their camps [in Iraq].

Abu Ali al-Askari, Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH) Security Official Mar. 2023

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