Abstract
Large amounts of jihadi video content on YouTube along with the vast array of relational data that can be gathered opens up innovative avenues for exploration of the support base for political violence. This exploratory study analyses the online supporters of jihad-promoting video content on YouTube, focusing on those posting and commenting upon martyr-promoting material from Iraq. Findings suggest that a majority are under 35 years of age and resident outside the region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) with the largest percentage of supporters located in the United States. Evidence to support the potential for online radicalisation is presented. Findings relating to newly formed virtual relationships involving a YouTube user with no apparent prior links to jihadists are discussed.
Keywords
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bergen, P.: Al Qaeda’s New Tactics. New York Times (November 15, 2002)
Ranstorp, M.: Al-Qaida in Cyberspace: Future Challenges of Terrorism in an Information Age. In: Nicander, L., Ranstorp, M. (eds.) Terrorism in the Information Age: New Frontiers? Stockholm, National Defence College (2004)
Conway, M.: Terrorism and the Internet: New Media, New Threat? Parliamentary Affairs 59 (2006)
Kimmage, D., Ridolfo, K.: Iraqi Insurgent Media: The War of Ideas and Images. Washington DC, Radio Free Europe (2007), http://realaudio.rferl.org/online/OLPDFfiles/insurgent.pdf
Salem, A., Reid, E., Chen, H.: Content Analysis of Jihadi Extremist Groups’ Videos. In: Mehrotra, S., Zeng, D.D., Chen, H., Thuraisingham, B., Wang, F.-Y. (eds.) ISI 2006. LNCS, vol. 3975. Springer, Heidelberg (2006)
Salem, A., Reid, E., Chen, H.: Multimedia Content Coding and Analysis: Unravelling the Content of Jihadi Extremist Groups’ Videos. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 31 (2007)
European Union Counter-Terrorism Strategy (2005), http://register.consilium.eu.int/pdf/en/05/st14/st14469-re04.en05.pdf
European Union Strategy for Combating Radicalisation and Recruitment to Terrorism (2005), http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/05/st14/st14781-re01.en05.pdf
United Nations Counterterrorism Strategy (2006), http://www.un.org/terrorism/strategy-counter-terrorism.html#plan
Call for projects on radicalisation and violence by the UK Economic and Social Research Council in conjunction with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2007), http://www.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/opportunities/current_funding_opportunities/New_Security_Challenges.aspx?ComponentId=18575&SourcePageId=5433
Call for projects on the prevention of and response to violent radicalisation by the European Commission (2007), http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/funding/2004_2007/radicalisation/funding_radicalisation_en.htm
Hoffman, B.: The Myth of Grass-Roots Terrorism. Foreign Affairs 87 (2008)
Sageman, M.: Leaderless Jihad. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia (2008)
YouTube Factsheet (2008), http://www.youtube.com/t/fact_sheet
Madden, M.: Online Video. Pew Internet and American Life Project, Washington DC (2007), http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Online_Video_2007.pdf
Yen, Y.: YouTube Looks for the Money Clip. CNNMoney.com (March 25, 2008)
Gomes, L.: Will All of Us Get Our 15 Minutes on YouTube? Wall Street Journal (August 30, 2006), http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB115689298168048904-5wWyrSwyn6RfVfz9NwLk774VUWc_20070829.html?mod=rss_free
Wikipedia entry for ‘YouTube’, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youtube#cite_note-Moneyclip-3
YouTube Community Guidelines, http://www.youtube.com/t/community_guidelines
CASOS Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, http://www.casos.cs.cmu.edu/
Editorial. The Refugee Crisis; Helping Iraqis Who Helped Us. The Washington Post (August 12, 2007)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Conway, M., McInerney, L. (2008). Jihadi Video and Auto-radicalisation: Evidence from an Exploratory YouTube Study. In: Ortiz-Arroyo, D., Larsen, H.L., Zeng, D.D., Hicks, D., Wagner, G. (eds) Intelligence and Security Informatics. EuroIsI 2008. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 5376. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-89900-6_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-89900-6_13
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-89899-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-89900-6
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)