Reading done on November 26 2017
"Background Note - Social Media and Youth Radicalization in Digital Age"
- by UNESCO
According to this white paper, UNESCO has commissioned research to gain greater insight into the connection between radicalization and social media. This study also seeks to understand “how counter-measures may impact on the exercise of human rights both on-line and offline” (UNESCO 2016, 1). This study’s aim is to provide a global mapping of research into the roles played by social media in radicalization processes in all regions”, in order to not only evaluate the counter-steps taken against social media content, which seem to contribute to radicalization but also to provide an in-depth analysis on their impact on online freedom (UNESCO. 2016, 1).
This study should provide policy recommendations for appropriate actions that could potentially be taken by different stakeholders “such as state actors, Internet companies, news media and researchers as well as individual users amongst others” (UNESCO. 2016, 1).
This paper refers to a report “Jihad Against Journalist” by RSF (Reporters Sans Frontiers), that the Islamic State’s central media organization supervises seven media divisions with separate specialties (video, text, photo, radio and translation) and furthermore assembles information from 38 different “media offices” worldwide (mainly in Iraq and Syria but also Afghanistan, West Africa, the Caucasus, Algeria, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia” (UNESCO 2016, 2).
This paper states that social media was considered as a major danger to bring youth radicalization, and they quote Stéphane Berthomet who claims that "there is a real danger in social networks for young people, for teens, for individuals who are seeking, seeking an identity and seeking a community because these people will fall very often precisely to the most radical” (La fabrique du djihad : radicalisation et terrorisme au Canada (2015) by Stéphane Berthomet, Edito.)” (UNESCO 2016, 4).
“But more and more recent in-depth studies have showed the complexity in the issue: “It is highly unlikely that an individual can only be radicalized by using the NSM (les nouveaux médias sociaux). The “danger” can not only be found online, but exposure to violent extremism offline must be taken into account.” (Comprendre et expliquer le rôle des nouveaux médias sociaux dans la formation de l’extrémisme violent Une recherche qualitative et quantitative, by Nele SCHILS and Julianne LAFFINEUR. http://www.belspo.be/belspo/fedra/TA/synTA043_fr.pdf)” and “the majority of radicalized individuals come into contact with extremists’ ideology through offline socialization prior to being further indoctrinated online. (Jihad Trending: A Comprehensive Analysis of Online Extremism and how to counter it (2014) by Ghaffar Hussain and Dr Erin Marie Saltman, Quilliam)” (UNESCO. 2016, 4).
This paper states that some of the counter radicalization measures taken by governments, are strongly questioned in terms of their effectivity. It also refers to a white paper for UNESCO and the United Nations Community – Youth Led Pathways from Extremism written in 2015 by Mark Brennan, Pat Dolan, Haras Rafiq, Colleen Connolly-Ahern, Rosemary Jolly, and Sarah Eissler,states that “negative measures, including government-backed censorship and filtering initiatives, are ineffective in tackling online extremism; they tackle the symptoms rather than the causes of radicalization. Motivated extremists and terrorist affiliates can evade such measures easily through the dark Internet, virtual private networks (VPNs), and even video game platforms. Blocked materials consistently reappear online and there is no effective way for ISPs or social media companies to filter extremist content” (UNESCO. 2016, 5).