The rise of social media and modern mass media is bringing about a new era in terrorist attacks. Technology’s advancements have made it possible to communicate via social media. Social media sites offer many opportunities for communication, including the ability to send messages, promote terrorist groups, and recruit new members. Terrorist organizations have the perfect platform to spread their ideology and goals because many social media sites are easy to use, inexpensive, and convenient.
Md Sazzad Hossain (2018) explains how terrorist organizations are “becoming more organised and dangerous” due to increased use of social media platforms. He also examines various concepts that he suggests to combat terrorists manipulating social media. Social media has provided many benefits to society. They have made it easier to communicate effectively and speed up the delivery of news. However, it is important to note that there are many negative aspects to using these websites for manipulating, recruiting, spreading violence and propagating terrorist organization ideology. Social media websites and applications allow users to create content and establish social connections with others who have similar interests. Social media can be used to share information and connect with people around the world. It allows you to stay in touch with distant relatives and to share information quickly and effectively. You can also connect with other people. These apps and websites are very popular with people all over the globe. But Hossain explains that modern technology has led to a new era in terrorist activity. Terrorist organizations now have the potential to spread propaganda and influence their audience in an untapped way. Terrorist groups have had access to certain apps like WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube. Twitter is a prime example. It is easy-to-use, has different privacy options, is extremely large in number, and allows you to target or influence people. Hossain observed that many groups such as Al-Shabaab and the IS use Twitter because of its open layout. This is the most convenient and practical for their purposes. They use Twitter to communicate operationally, for information sharing, training and recruiting.
Open platform websites, like Twitter, are used by terrorist groups for their ability to increase their group’s connections and communicate more effectively with the public and mainstream media. These organizations use social media to build a community online and create a sense for belonging. They also have a remarkable growth rate if the website’s content moderator doesn’t monitor them. According to the author’s research, between September-December 2014, approximately 46,000-70,000 accounts on Twitter alone were IS supporters or members (Berger & Morgan (2015)). These internet platforms are known for actively trying to prevent terrorist accounts from being created and limit any terrorist activity. However, their websites are unable to prevent these same groups simply from creating new accounts. They create a new profile almost immediately and all their followers and friends are transferred to the new account.
These online communities are dynamic and will continue to change over time. Hossain claims that this will ensure that they are always online and connected to their audience. It is well-known that the internet is a permanent place where information can be found. This means that even though many groups’ propaganda or content is removed by an authority or platform moderator, it is likely that the material will still be available for all who are interested. Even if many internet platforms succeed in terminating terrorist accounts, the message of the organization can be carried on as the content of their posts will be reposted on social media. Hassain pointed out that fighting terrorism does not have to stop with social media. He also noted the privacy issues that can arise from using social media. He suggests taking immediate action against the terrorism of social media. Hassain believes this will increase awareness and make it easier to track down suspects who use these platforms to influence or target others.
Campaigning can also clarify religious justifications and terrorist group actions, helping to raise awareness and make people more aware of the truth. This awareness can be supplemented by the fact that intelligence units and law enforcement officers must have proper training. These agencies and units form the basis for how we can legally and responsibly monitor social networking terrorism inside and out of the country. Hassain seems determined to pursue a global and cooperative effort with all the social media companies and their respective governments in order fight any type of terrorist activity on their platforms. He feels it is vital to address this issue by implementing a wide range of legislation and collaborative input to combat terrorist activity and “uphold world security” (2018). While almost all social media platforms have privacy policies, they must be open to working with local governments to fight terrorist activities. It is crucial to limit the reach of terrorist organizations, while respecting the privacy rights of those who use these sites. This must be accomplished in accordance with specific Acts.
Social media’s rapid growth has had a profound impact on how the world communicates over the past decade. It is now a primary source of information, and many people use it as a way to connect. This has led to a new age in social networking. Social media is now an open platform that allows for information exchange and planning of violent acts. It is used as a tool to manipulate religious ideologies and justifications. These terrorist groups continue to adapt to the ever-growing influence of social networking in this world. It is not possible to stop them from threatening the national security.
