Terrorist groups use modern technology, such as the Internet, to spread propaganda. The Internet, mainly social media platforms, is flooded with videos and audio that present misleading information to people. Indeed, before all the websites and social media platforms came to life, terrorism was majorly dependent on the native communication channel such as radio or television. However, with advancements in technology, there are various ways for the groups to disseminate data that reaches millions. Extremists use violent videos on YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter, which assist in highlighting extremist beliefs and, at the same time, use victims to incite people. In all these, they understand that psychological manipulation is effective in forming perceptions of truth.
They use technology for recruitment in a bid to promote homegrown terrorism. Groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) create chat groups and websites that are password protected for linking young people with recruiters. For example, applications such as WhatsApp and Telegram provide end-to-end- encrypted messages which ensure privacy and ease of communication. Harrison (2020) outlines that online recruitment for ISIS rely on Internet access, where up to 90% of young people socialize. In clandestine recruitment, they gather intelligence and use citizens to spy on their government and engage in terrorism on behalf of the group.
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Terrorists rely on cyberterrorism to further their distractive agenda. According to the United Nations (2013), they target computer systems of security agencies intending to instil feat politically and socially. Unlike the early days when terrorism majored in taking hostages, modern technology has proven to be an impactful alternative through computer viruses and flooding. For example, the Tel Aviv Exchange in 2012 saw thousands of credit card details disclosed. With thousands of websites functioning in the tech world for businesses' conduct, these attacks are fatal and disruptive to the proper functioning of a country.
References
Harrison, S. (2020). Evolving Tech, Evolving Terror. Center for Strategic & International Studies. https://www.csis.org/npfp/evolving-tech-evolving-terror
United Nations (2013). United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force. The use of the Internet for terrorist purposes. https://www.unodc.org/documents/frontpage/Use_of_Internet_for_Terrorist_Purposes.pdf
