The internet offers tremendous opportunities for violent extremists across the ideological spectrum and at a global level. In addition to propaganda, digital technologies have transformed the dynamics of radical mobilisation, recruitment and participation. Even though the jihadist threat has seemingly declined in the West, the danger exists of the internet being an environment where radical messages can survive and even prosper. Against this background, this ISPI report investigates the current landscape of jihadist online communication, including original empirical analysis. Specific attention is also placed on potential measures and initiatives to address the threat of online violent extremism. The volume aims to present important points for reflection on the phenomenon in the West (including Italy) and beyond.

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Paolo Magri

1. Violent Extremism and the Internet, Between Foreign Fighters and Terrorist Financing

Francesco Marone

2. Seven Premises of Jihadist Activism on the Internet

Manuel R. Torres Soriano

3. Follow the White Rabbit - Tracking IS Online and Insights into What Jihadists Share

Ali Fisher, Nico Prucha

4. IS and the Others. A Topic Analysis of Pro- and Anti-IS Discourse on Arabic-Speaking Twitter

Matteo Colombo

5. Sleeping, but Present: The Cyber Activity Inspired by the Islamic State in Italy

Valerio Mazzoni

6. From the Rise of Daesh to the “Legacy of Islamic State”

Marco Lombardi, Daniele Plebani

7. Terrorist Content and the Social Media Ecosystem: The Role of Regulation

Patrick Bishop, Stuart Macdonald