Facebook, YouTube +: How Social Media Outlets Impact Digital Terrorism and Hate
The Simon Wiesenthal Center has just released this new report which outlines how social media outlets impact digital terrorism and hate. “The Internet’s unprecedented global reach and scope combined with the difficulty in monitoring and tracing communications make it the prime tool for extremists and terrorists. The Simon Wiesenthal Center has been monitoring these developments for over a decade through our Digital Terrorism and Hate Project. Facebook, YouTube +: How Social Media Outlets Impact Digital Terrorism and Hate confirm that as the Internet has grown, the escalation of extremist sites has kept pace in number and in technological sophistication. In April 1995, the first extremist website went online: Today, the Wiesenthal Center’s Digital Hate and Terrorism project identifies some 10,000 problematic hate and terrorist websites, hate games and other internet postings. See press release
Every aspect of the Internet is being used by extremists of every ilk to repackage old hatred, demean the ‘Enemy’, to raise funds and since 9/11, recruit and train Jihadist terrorists. This user-generated material increases the viral spread of extremism online and aids in increasing the social acceptability of hate in mainstream discourse. By creating an environment where users are equal participants in the Web, all editorial functions are removed and expressions of hate can easily flow unchallenged. Jews, Catholics, Muslims, Hindus, gays, women and immigrants are some of the most targeted groups.”
Article formerly posted at https://www.hsdl.org/blog/newpost/view/s_3326
