Ever since it was born Social media is constantly revolutionizing news consumption and the way we spread our information. Terrorists are no exception to this rule. The next generation of Islamists militants did not get scared by the public nature of Twitter and instead they embraced it.
Islamist leaders send a flurry of messages from their social networking accounts. With the help of micro-blogging platforms such as Twitter they raise their online presence and attract more sympathizers. Many people listen to their propaganda but so do the authorities. Islamist extremists have been struggling for some time to bypass censors in online forums or social networking platforms such as Facebook. Authorities and website owners are fighting this trend. Right now Twitter is the terrorists’ number one choice. According to analysts who monitor terrorists and militants online presence the micro-blogging platform still offers a place where groups can speak their mind without filters.
Earlier this year U.S. government disabled accounts linked to Somalia’s al-Qaida, al-Shabab and to other terrorist groups. But militants still find a way to resume their activities online. Al-Qaida-related Yemeni group, Ansar al-Shariah still has their Twitter media outlet.
Ever since the online war began militants kept fighting to keep their online presence.
