ExtremismMore Violent Pro-ISIS, Extreme Right Content on Facebook & Instagram

Published 4 October 2021

The Counter Extremism Project (CEP), which monitors the methods used by extremists to exploit the Internet and social media platforms to recruit followers and incite violence, reports that violent Islamist and extreme right content continues to be available on social media platforms.

The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports monitors the methods used by extremists to exploit the Internet and social media platforms to recruit followers and incite violence. On Facebook, numerous pieces of pro-ISIS propaganda were found on various accounts and pages. Some of these have been up for months and accumulated hundreds of likes. Extreme-right and racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) content espousing racist and antisemitic ideologies was also located on Instagram.

CEP found additional ISIS propaganda on the dark web and an ISIS Amaq video which was released on multiple websites. A video on TikTok was identified which used an honorific to refer to the Christchurch terrorist and received about 600 views. CEP located numerous posts by RMVEs and neo-Nazi Telegram accounts glorifying the Poway synagogue shooter and encouraging future violence.

Pro-ISIS Propaganda Located on Facebook
The week of September 26 to October 2, CEP researchers found multiple pieces of pro-ISIS propaganda on Facebook. CEP found five accounts or pages, including a page for ISIS’s audio nasheed propaganda group, Ajnad Media Foundation, which had over 750 likes on September 30. The page was created on June 3, 2021, and the most recent post was on September 18. Posts included ISIS nasheeds and links to content on other websites.

An account was also located that had posted four ISIS propaganda clips taken from official videos, including scenes containing the use of suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices. Posts were made between September 26 and September 28 and had an average of 96 likes/reactions each.

CEP also located an account that posted ISIS Al Bayan radio statements starting in late September 2021, and two accounts that began posting clips taken from official ISIS propaganda videos on August 30 and September 4, respectively. Video clips included content that had ISIS logos covered up as well as footage containing ISIS official logos.

Out of the 15 accounts or pieces of content that CEP reported to Facebook, 11 were still online three days later.