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ISIS creating social media of their own
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The social media platform currently being developed by ISIS was uncovered during a Europol-coordinated crackdown on ISIS and Al-Qaeda material. (Shutterstock/File)
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social media platform is currently being developed by militants aligned with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in order to avoid discovery of their communications and propaganda, according to European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Eurpol).
"It was revealed ISIS is now developing its very own social media platform, its own part of the Internet to run its agenda," said Eurpol director Rob Wainwright in London on Wednesday, as quoted by The Straits Times. "It does show that some members of [ISIS], at least, continue to innovate in this space.”
The platform was uncovered during a Europol-coordinated crackdown on ISIS and Al-Qaeda material. It was then that 2,000 extremist items on 52 social media platforms were identified.
Read also: Report shows social media spreads IS propaganda among Indonesian extremists
Social media is frequently used by extremists in order to spread propaganda and recruit others, especially through private channels on messaging apps like Telegram. Other social media sites, such as Google and Facebook, are facing pressure to put an end to extremist material hosted on their websites.
According to Europol, these attempts may be misguided. "Efforts made by numerous online platforms to remove inappropriate content have driven supporters of terrorist groups to simultaneously use multiple platforms to promote terrorism and incite violence."
"They have also been searching for new service providers to make sure their messages reach potential supporters, while a growing interest for platforms that do not require identification has been witnessed," the agency added. (sul/kes)
