Extremists and Online Propaganda

For Immediate Release Wednesday, October 3, 2018

(New York, NY) – The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) today released a new report that details the online platforms sought out by known extremists on their path to radicalism. The study directly links radicalized Westerners to the extremist propaganda they consumed and/or shared on popular online platforms including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus, among others.

Extremists & Online Propaganda profiles 168 individuals who consumed official propaganda materials produced by the media arms of groups like ISIS, al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and al-Shabab, which are intentionally crafted to radicalize, inspire, and incite to violence. Individuals accessed and disseminated this content on a variety of social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, WhatsApp, Skype, Tumblr, and Paltalk. 

Of those profiled by CEP, 26 subsequently carried out attacks. At least 57 individuals who consumed official extremist propaganda attempted to become foreign fighters for an extremist group, and at least 16 succeeded.

To read the report, Extremists & Online Propaganda, please click here.

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