How Do Social Media Platforms Help Extremist Groups Spread Their Propaganda? A Report Provides Answers

A pro-ISIS Telegram channel focused on tech and privacy issues recently recommended five cloud storage services as part of its weekly publications.

In a report examining the methods used by extremists and terrorist groups to spread propaganda and incite violence online, researchers from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) identified eight TikTok accounts that glorified white supremacist mass shooters, including the perpetrators of the Christchurch attack on March 15, 2019, and the Buffalo shooting on May 14, 2022.

• Austria Launches Campaign against Political Islam Groups and Plans to Ban Hijab for Girls Under 14

• Warnings about Suspicious Moves to Recycle Extremist Organizations: What’s the Story?

On Instagram, the project found 14 accounts that posted content supporting ISIS, including clips from propaganda videos, pages from the group’s weekly newsletter, and recent textual statements. On April 9, the Qimam Electronic Foundation, a pro-ISIS tech group, released a guide on AI apps and software, covering interactive chatbots, image generators, and the potential dangers of artificial intelligence.

Earlier in the week, the same pro-ISIS Telegram channel had already recommended five cloud storage services, emphasizing privacy and data security.

• How Terrorist Groups Utilize Social Media Platforms for Recruitment and Fundraising

• ISIS Develops Tactics Followed by Other Extremist Groups

 Telegram, the Texas branch of the Active Club, a white supremacist movement, attempted to recruit new members following the fatal stabbing of a high school student by a peer. On April 3, the Ohio branch rebranded itself as the Ohio Nationalist Network, claiming the Active Club model could be improved.

On X (formerly Twitter), Christopher Pohlhaus, the leader of the neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe, created a new account after his previous one was suspended.

• Exploited by Terrorist Groups: How Extremists Have Distorted the Islamic Appearance

• Growing Calls to Ban the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan After Terror Cell Uncovered

According to the European Centre for Counterterrorism and Intelligence Studies, the Texas-based branch of the Active Club posted a message on Telegram seeking to recruit members after the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old white student Austin Metcalf in Frisco, Texas. The attack was allegedly carried out by another 17-year-old student, Carmelo Anthony, who is Black, during a school sports event. The Telegram post called on white men in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin areas to join the group for combat sports training.

Several other far-right groups — including other branches of the Active Club, the National Front, and the Vinlanders Social Club — also issued similar recruitment calls.

• Increase in terrorist organization crimes since the beginning of 2025… What are the details?

• Global Terrorism Index Warns: “Lone Wolf” Attacks on the Rise

• The Terrorism Threat Remains High: Has the Number of Dangerous Islamists in Germany Decreased?

• After a Peaceful Night… Did the Far Right in Britain Fail to Incite Chaos and Hatred Against Muslims?