Now, Terror Groups Are Extensively Using Social Media: Study

Terrorist groups, such as Al-Qaeda, have expanded their online presence with the help of social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, posing new challenges for the security agencies, a report released by the Woodrow Wilson Centre’s DC Commons Lab said.

"All terrorist organisations are using many online platforms," said Gabriel Weimann, a professor of Communication and author of the report. "From the point of view of the terrorists, social media provides an important advantage of anonymity," he said. These social media platform are now used as tools for recruitment, propaganda, fundraising and imparting training on how to make a bomb.

Back in 1998, only 12 terrorist-linked websites were present, but now the number has swelled to about 10,000, said Weimann. Moreover, they have even created forums and chat rooms, he added.

Weimann said that the groups "never invented anything" online, but have misused the online freedom to create tools such as an online magazine Inspire, which is used to recruit terrorists.
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