Details problem of weaponization of social media platforms at hearing

(Washington, D.C.) – Counter Extremism Project CEO Mark D. Wallace called on Twitter and other social media companies to do more to combat online radicalization, recruitment, and incitement to violence in testimony Wednesday, referring to the “weaponization” of social media platforms by extremist groups “a cancer that continues to grow unabated.”

The National Security Subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform called the hearing, “Radicalization: Social Media and the Rise of Terrorism,” to examine the scope of online radicalization and what steps could be taken to mitigate the rise of terror via social media. Chairman Ron DeSantis of Florida pointed out that in recent years, terrorist organizations have attempted to control their image, attract new recruits, and inspire “lone wolf” attacks through the use of social media, including disseminating images of graphic violence.

Wallace explained to committee members that CEP’s focus was on Twitter because it is the “gateway drug, where vulnerable individuals, usually young people, are first exposed to propaganda and radical content.”

“On September 11, we released profiles of 66 Americans who have joined or allegedly attempted to join ISIS, as well as other Americans accused of planning attacks on U.S. soil, providing financial assistance to extremist entities, or propagandizing on their behalf,” Wallace said. “These individuals have very different backgrounds and experiences, but the one characteristic they seem to share is active participation on social media.”

Wallace told the committee that through #CEPDigitalDisruption, “we have identified and reported hundreds of extremists to Twitter and in June, we expanded our campaign to include monitoring of Twitter accounts in French, Italian, German, and Turkish.”  

While CEP and its supporters continue to identify and report the most egregious online abusers among the estimated 43,000 pro-ISIS supporters on Twitter, those reports placed into a long queue and don’t get immediate attention. Wallace detailed for the committee five immediate steps that should be taken to more promptly and permanently remove the worst online abusers from social media platforms. 

“We wrote three letters to Twitter asking for a simple meeting, but the response we’ve gotten is dismissive to the point of dereliction,” Wallace said. “We need a willing partner.”

Stories about the hearing appeared in the Washington Times, Washington Free Beacon, and Newsmax.  

A copy of Ambassador Wallace’s full testimony can be found here.

To watch the hearing, please click here.