New Security Paradigm – The Use of Social Networks as a Form of Threat to the National Security State
Keywords:
Radicalization, social media, ISIS, Al-Shabaab, Facebook, TwitterAbstract
Islamic State depends on the recruitment of foreign fighters to execute attacks in their home countries. This paper examines the influence of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube in the indoctrination and direction of young people into extremist and terrorist collectives. The study wholly depended on the qualitative analysis in unfolding the concerns related to social media and terrorism activities. After an in-depth exploration, the paper has proven that a good number of attacks are launched by homegrown terrorists who are self-radicalized and indoctrinated through YouTube videos, Facebook groups, and Tweets. Following this discovery, the researchers recommend collaboration between the social media owners and intelligence security agencies in combating terrorist activities online. The social media owners’ help in monitoring terrorists’ activities on their websites would thus help in improving the intelligence and the general security of the country.
References
Taylor, H. (2016). “Most Young Terrorist Recruitment Is Linked To Social Media, DOJ Official Says”, CNBC, accessed February 21, 2017, URL: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/10/05/most-young-terrorist-recruitment-is-linked-to-so-cial-media-said-doj-official.html.
Bennett, D. (2013). Digital media and reporting conflict: blogging and the BBC’s coverage of war and terrorism. New York: Routledge.
Alarid, M. (2016). “CHAPTER 13 Recruitment And Radicalization: The Role Of Social Media An”, Center For Complex Operations, accessed February 21, 2017, URL: http://cco.ndu.edu/Publications/Books/Impunity/Article/780274/chapter-13-recruitment-and-radicalization-the-role-of-social-media-and-new-tech/.
WIRED. (2016). “Why ISIS Is Winning The Social Media War—And How To Fight Back”, accessed February 21, 2017, URL: https://www.wired.com/2016/03/isis-winning-social-media-war-heres-beat/.
Lohrmann, D. (2016). “How Terrorists’ Use Of Social Media Points To The Future”, Govtech.Com, accessed February 21, 2017, URL: http://www.govtech.com/em/safety/Terrorists-And-Social-Media.html.
Rowland, M. (2017). “Jihad 2.0: The Power Of Social Media In Terrorist Recruitment – Homeland Security Digital Library”, Hsdl.Org, accessed February 21, 2017, URL: https://www.hsdl.org/c/jihad-2-0-the-power-of-social-media-in-terrorist-recruitment/.
Barrett, J. (2017). “A Complete List Of Radical Islamic Terror Attacks On U.S. Soil Under Obama”, Daily Wire, accessed February 21, 2017, URL: http://www.dailywire.com/news/11410/complete-list-radical-islamic-terror-attacks-us-james-barrett.
Steinbach, M. (2016). “ISIL Online: Countering Terrorist Radicalization And Recruitment On The Internet And Social Media”, Federal Bureau Of Investigation, accessed February 21, 2017, URL:https://www.fbi.gov/news/testimony/isil-online-countering-terrorist-radicalization-and-recruitment-on-the-internet-and-social-media.
Nacos, B. L. (2016). Terrorism and Counterterrorism. New York : Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Caruso, C. (2016). “Can a Social-Media Algorithm Predict a Terror Attack?” MIT Technology Review. URL: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601700/can-a-social-media-algorithm-predict-a-terror-attack/.
Kimutai, J. (2014). “Social Media and National Security Threats: A Case Study of Kenya.” Master’s thesis, University of Nairobi. URL: http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/76667.
