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Remove, Impede, Disrupt, Redirect: Understanding & Combating Pro-Islamic State Use of File-Sharing Platforms

Stuart Macdonald Orcid Logo, Joost S., Connor Rees

Swansea University Authors: Stuart Macdonald Orcid Logo, Connor Rees

DOI (Published version): 10.37805/ogrr2022.1

Abstract

In the face of content takedown and account suspensions on the biggest social media platforms, terrorist groups and their supporters have resorted to the use of file-sharing sites to ensure stable access to their propaganda. Amongst those to have employed this strategy are supporters of the so-calle...

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Published: Washington, DC RESOLVE Network 2022
Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.37805/ogrr2022.1
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa59645
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first_indexed 2022-05-13T16:00:00Z
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spelling 2023-01-03T16:01:29.1006511 v2 59645 2022-03-16 Remove, Impede, Disrupt, Redirect: Understanding & Combating Pro-Islamic State Use of File-Sharing Platforms 933e714a4cc37c3ac12d4edc277f8f98 0000-0002-7483-9023 Stuart Macdonald Stuart Macdonald true false 09194a4c065f1ba507bc0723b1dabcc3 Connor Rees Connor Rees true false 2022-03-16 LAWD In the face of content takedown and account suspensions on the biggest social media platforms, terrorist groups and their supporters have resorted to the use of file-sharing sites to ensure stable access to their propaganda. Amongst those to have employed this strategy are supporters of the so-called Islamic State (IS). Yet, whilst studies have repeatedly highlighted the key role that file-sharing platforms play in the dissemination of IS propaganda, there has been little investigation of the strategic considerations that may influence the choice of file-sharing sites from the many available. To address this, this report uses data gathered from 13 public IS Telegram channels over a 45-day period in July-September 2021 to assess three possible strategic considerations: the features offered by different file-sharing sites (such as data storage capacity, maximum upload size, and password file protection); a platform’s enforcement activity; and, the ability to generate large banks of URLs quickly and conveniently. Based on these findings, the report proposes a four-pronged strategy to combat the exploitation of file-sharing sites by supporters of IS and other terrorist groups: remove terrorist content at the point of upload; impede the automated generation and dissemination of banks of URLs; disrupt the posting of these URLs on other platforms; and, redirect users to other content and support services. Consultancy Report RESOLVE Network Washington, DC Terrorism, counterterrorism, Islamic State, social media, online, propaganda 29 4 2022 2022-04-29 10.37805/ogrr2022.1 http://dx.doi.org/10.37805/ogrr2022.1 COLLEGE NANME Law COLLEGE CODE LAWD Swansea University Not Required This report was produced as part of a project funded by HEFCW via the Research Wales Innovation Fund 2023-01-03T16:01:29.1006511 2022-03-16T15:22:14.1128315 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Hilary Rodham Clinton School of Law Stuart Macdonald 0000-0002-7483-9023 1 Joost S. 2 Connor Rees 3 59645__24069__5e963ad9cfa44e16b32f708b7134115a.pdf RIDR Published Report.pdf 2022-05-13T16:53:29.5151669 Output 1420593 application/pdf Version of Record true false English
title Remove, Impede, Disrupt, Redirect: Understanding & Combating Pro-Islamic State Use of File-Sharing Platforms
spellingShingle Remove, Impede, Disrupt, Redirect: Understanding & Combating Pro-Islamic State Use of File-Sharing Platforms
Stuart Macdonald
Connor Rees
title_short Remove, Impede, Disrupt, Redirect: Understanding & Combating Pro-Islamic State Use of File-Sharing Platforms
title_full Remove, Impede, Disrupt, Redirect: Understanding & Combating Pro-Islamic State Use of File-Sharing Platforms
title_fullStr Remove, Impede, Disrupt, Redirect: Understanding & Combating Pro-Islamic State Use of File-Sharing Platforms
title_full_unstemmed Remove, Impede, Disrupt, Redirect: Understanding & Combating Pro-Islamic State Use of File-Sharing Platforms
title_sort Remove, Impede, Disrupt, Redirect: Understanding & Combating Pro-Islamic State Use of File-Sharing Platforms
author_id_str_mv 933e714a4cc37c3ac12d4edc277f8f98
09194a4c065f1ba507bc0723b1dabcc3
author_id_fullname_str_mv 933e714a4cc37c3ac12d4edc277f8f98_***_Stuart Macdonald
09194a4c065f1ba507bc0723b1dabcc3_***_Connor Rees
author Stuart Macdonald
Connor Rees
author2 Stuart Macdonald
Joost S.
Connor Rees
format Consultancy Report
publishDate 2022
institution Swansea University
doi_str_mv 10.37805/ogrr2022.1
publisher RESOLVE Network
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str Hilary Rodham Clinton School of Law{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}Hilary Rodham Clinton School of Law
url http://dx.doi.org/10.37805/ogrr2022.1
document_store_str 1
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description In the face of content takedown and account suspensions on the biggest social media platforms, terrorist groups and their supporters have resorted to the use of file-sharing sites to ensure stable access to their propaganda. Amongst those to have employed this strategy are supporters of the so-called Islamic State (IS). Yet, whilst studies have repeatedly highlighted the key role that file-sharing platforms play in the dissemination of IS propaganda, there has been little investigation of the strategic considerations that may influence the choice of file-sharing sites from the many available. To address this, this report uses data gathered from 13 public IS Telegram channels over a 45-day period in July-September 2021 to assess three possible strategic considerations: the features offered by different file-sharing sites (such as data storage capacity, maximum upload size, and password file protection); a platform’s enforcement activity; and, the ability to generate large banks of URLs quickly and conveniently. Based on these findings, the report proposes a four-pronged strategy to combat the exploitation of file-sharing sites by supporters of IS and other terrorist groups: remove terrorist content at the point of upload; impede the automated generation and dissemination of banks of URLs; disrupt the posting of these URLs on other platforms; and, redirect users to other content and support services.
published_date 2022-04-29T04:17:07Z
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score 10.950132

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