Extremist exploitation of social media fuels violence, recruitment

Over recent years, extremist organizations have adapted quickly, embedding their operations within online platforms to amplify reach and influence.

Groups such as al-Qaeda and the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) have used social media to expand activities far beyond territories they physically control.

Platforms including X, Facebook, Telegram, and YouTube have become central tools for recruitment, propaganda dissemination, violence promotion, and financial fundraising operations.

A primary objective of these groups involves identifying and recruiting vulnerable individuals through targeted online engagement strategies.

Many recruits are uneducated young people lacking awareness of Islamic principles, making them susceptible to misleading extremist propaganda narratives.

Exposure to violent imagery, ideological messaging, and propaganda videos fosters radical attitudes among impressionable youth.

Social media also enables terrorist groups to establish sophisticated financial networks, said Wahid Ahmad Kheradmand, a cyberspace expert in Kabul.

"A large portion of al-Qaeda and ISIS propaganda messages in cyberspace is not solely aimed at recruitment, but also at attracting financial supporters," he said.

"These terrorist groups attract funding by publishing deceptive and exaggerated content."

Need for global coordination

During recent decades, terrorism has emerged as a transnational security threat that cannot be contained within national borders alone.

Its networked structure demands responses that are coordinated, multilateral, and effective across regions and governments.

Last November, the UN Security Council warned that terrorist threats are becoming increasingly complex and technologically advanced.

UN member states broadly agreed that terrorism threatens global security and should not be politicized.

Council representatives noted that extremist groups are leveraging modern technologies, expanding threats particularly across parts of Africa.

Counter-terrorism committees reported that groups including al-Qaeda and ISIS exploit social media, artificial intelligence, digital currencies, and drones for recruitment, financing, and operational planning.

Officials also warned that terrorism is increasingly linked to organized crime, risking expansion from unstable regions including the Sahel, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

A unified approach

Analysts argue that unified global efforts can significantly undermine terrorist planning and operational capacity.

Sayed Alam Karokhi, a political analyst in Herat, emphasized terrorism’s inherently transnational nature and complex international networks.

"To counter the threats posed by terrorist groups, intelligence information and experiences must be shared among countries so that they can jointly and in a coordinated manner develop precise operational plans and make rapid decisions in combating terrorism," he said.

No country can defeat terrorism independently, highlighting shared responsibility among all states, he told Salaam Times.

Terrorist groups increasingly shift activities into encrypted, less regulated platforms, complicating detection and enforcement efforts.

"To monitor and track the activities of terrorist groups on social media and online platforms, advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, must be used." suggested Gulabuddin Ahmadi, a Kabul-based social media analyst.

The more the spread of extremist content by terrorist groups on social media is prevented, the safer young people will be, Ahmadi said.