Extremists & Terrorists Continue to Mobilize With Aid of Social Media & Online Cloud Storage Platforms
So, it is the case again. Social media companies are facilitating the mobilization of radical and dangerous groups. Just over a week ago, neo-Nazis took to the streets in Germany to demonstrate and intimidate any outsiders or immigrants. Following the stabbing and death of a 35-year-old at a festival in the Chemnitz City Center, rumors began making the rounds on social media websites that the perpetrators were migrants. Quickly, these rumors manifested into anger, centralized and focused on one group: refugees. The demonstrators caught police on their heels, harassed journalists, targeted counter-protestors and injured at least two people.
The Counter Extremism Project has seen this sophisticated use of social media by extremists in the past. A video has been circulating on Facebook and Instagram of a version of the National Action propaganda video that includes the Darlington march. In it, one of the group’s leaders condemns immigration and non-white British culture, calling for unspecified action to preserve white Britain. The Facebook video has been on the site since August 3, 2018, whereas the Instagram video has been online since November 14, 2017, allowing nearly one year of exposure to the video. MP Yvette Cooper, chair of the UK Home Affairs Committee had previously called out Google / YouTube for its failure to keep this video off their platforms.
Also last week, The Wall Street Journal reported how ISIS “reigns supreme among terrorists in cyberspace.” It pointed to, among others, the Islamic State’s official online news outlet’s recent claim that a man in France who stabbed his mother and sister to death had responded to its calls to attack citizens of countries that are part of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the group. This illustrates how the Internet is not only perpetuating ISIS’s existence, but arguably allowing it to grow and thrive. By utilizing social media platforms and leveraging an online presence, ISIS is able to recruit and further its cause.
CEP has identified additional examples of the circulation of radicalizing and dangerous videos. A one-year old video by ISIS titled “The First Rain: The Raid of Barcelona,” recently resurfaced and was originally released several days after the Barcelona vehicle ramming attack in 2017. The video promises future attacks in Spain and was uploaded to various online servers like Amazon Cloud Drive, Dropbox and Vimeo. Similarly, another video by ISIS’s propaganda arm, Al Hayat Media Center, released French language audio that was uploaded to Telegram, Microsoft One Drive, Google Drive, and Soundcloud, among others.
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Notorious National Action Propaganda Video Located On Facebook And Instagram
A version of the National Action propaganda video that includes the Darlington march was located on Facebook and a shorter version on Instagram. In the video, one of the group’s leaders condemns immigration and non-white British culture, calling for unspecified action to preserve white Britain. The video on Instagram was one minute long, instead of the full length -- four minutes and twenty-six seconds -- due to Instagram’s video time limit. The Facebook video has been on the site since August 3, 2018, whereas the Instagram video has been online since November 14, 2017. MP Yvette Cooper, chair of the UK Home Affairs Committee had previously called out Google/YouTube for its failure to keep this video off their platforms. National Action was proscribed by the British government in December 2016.
The National Action Darlington March Propaganda Video On Facebook, August 30
The National Action Darlington March Propaganda Video On Instagram, August 30
One Year Old ISIS Video Celebrating Barcelona Attack Re-Uploaded To Several Websites
On Wednesday, August 29, ISIS online supporters reuploaded the video “The First Rain: the Raid of Barcelona,” which was originally released several days after the Barcelona vehicle ramming attack in 2017. The video includes news footage of the attack, as well as two Spanish speaking ISIS fighters who praise the terrorist act and promise future attacks in Spain. One ISIS member encourages those who are unable to travel to ISIS controlled territory to commit attacks in their present location. The video was uploaded to 12 different sites on August 29: Mediafire, the Internet Archive, Top4top.net, Dailymotion, file.fm, mega.nz, nofile.io, sendit.cloud, tune.pk, Amazon Cloud Drive, Dropbox and Vimio. Approximately 15 hours later, the video was still available on five sites: the Internet Archive, Top4top.net, nofile.io, sendit.cloud, and Amazon Cloud Drive.
The Video On The Amazon Cloud Drive, August 30
New French Language ISIS Nasheed Released
On August 27, ISIS’s propaganda arm Al Hayat Media Center released a French language nasheed titled “Let Us Be A Little Patient.” The nasheed comes shortly after ISIS’s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi similarly urged patience in an August 22 speech. In addition to Telegram, the nasheed was uploaded to at least 17 sites: pc.cd, Mediafire, nofile.io, mail.ru, Microsoft One Drive, the Internet Archive, Google Drive, Top4top.net, file.fm, mega.nz, sendit.cloud, Soundcloud, Streamable, Tune.pk, Instaud.io, nicovideo.jp, and Dropbox. Three days later, the nasheed was available on five sites: the Internet Archive, Soundcloud, Instaud.io, nicovideo.jp and the Microsoft One Drive.
ISIS French Language Nasheed On The Internet Archive, August 30
BACKGROUND
Neo-Nazis Mobilize And Organize Against Migrants Using Social Media, Causing Injuries To Others. “The neo-Nazi goes on the attack. He throws his arms above his head, yells and waves toward the parade of demonstrators in an attempt to get his comrades to follow him. Then, along with a group of 10 to 12 others, he storms up the stairs to a terrace in front of the Stadthalle, an event venue in the heart of the city of Chemnitz … But given the events in the city just one day earlier, that seems unlikely. Early on Sunday morning, 35-year-old Daniel H. was stabbed to death at a festival in the Chemnitz city center. Immediately, rumors began making the rounds on right-wing websites and social media platforms that the perpetrators were migrants and the focus of their anger soon came to rest on refugees. (Raphael Thelen, “Right-Wing Mob Wreaks Havoc On German City,” Speigel Online, 8/28/18)
Using Online Cloud Storage And Social Media, ISIS Builds Brand And Increases Exposure. “Islamic State has lost most of the territory it once held in Syria and Iraq. It is vying for survival with other, sometimes stronger, extremist groups. But one sphere where Islamic State still reigns supreme among terrorists is in cyberspace. The group’s vast online presence is a critical recruitment and marketing tool that has helped it build a brutish brand using propaganda and sometimes false claims. Maintaining the perception that the Islamic State can shape the actions of loyalists has become all the more important as its territorial control, or self-declared caliphate, has almost completely collapsed. The latest example of the role of such online propaganda came on Thursday, when Islamic State’s official news outlet claimed that a man who stabbed his mother and sister to death in France had responded to its calls to attack citizens of countries that are part of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the group. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb disputed the statement, saying the perpetrator was mentally unstable. That claim came a day after Islamic State released what it said was a recording of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the first in nearly a year, calling for supporters abroad to continue attacks on Western cities.” (Sune Engel Rasmussen, “Online Propaganda Builds Islamic State Brand In The Face Of Military Losses,” The Wall Street Journal, 8/26/18)