Hash Function and Artificial Intelligence Fail To Impede Upload Of 2017 ISIS
Video





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Extremist Content Online: Facebook Edition

Hash Function and Artificial Intelligence Fail To Impede Upload Of 2017 ISIS
Video



(New York, N.Y.) — The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the
methods used by extremists to exploit Meta-owned Facebook to spread propaganda,
recruit followers, and incite violence in order to hold the popular social
media platform accountable for its failure to prevent the dissemination of
extremist and terrorist content.



This past week, among a sample of nine pro-ISIS Facebook accounts and a
Facebook blog, CEP again located a variety of pro-ISIS content ranging from
clipped and full-length ISIS propaganda videos to Amaq news videos, photos, and
text to an image from the pro-ISIS-K media group al-Azaim Foundation. Among the
ISIS content is a clip from the 2017 propaganda video “The Caravan of Light,”
depicting the driver of a vehicle carrying an improvised explosive device
followed by aerial footage of its explosion. This video alone garnered over
3,000 views and nearly 200 likes and reactions.



Pro-ISIS Content Located on Facebook



In a sample of nine pro-ISIS Facebook accounts and one Facebook blog located
on August 31, CEP researchers found multiple violations of the platform’s
policies againstterrorist content
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. CEP found full-length ISIS propaganda videos, clips from ISIS videos, the
promotion of ISIS videos, unofficial pro-ISIS videos, Amaq news videos, photos,
and text, links to ISIS propaganda on other websites, audio files, and an image
from the pro-ISIS-K media group al-Azaim Foundation.



On August 28, one of the accounts posted a clip from an ISIS propaganda video,
“The Caravan of Light,” originally released on January 3, 2017. The clip shows
footage of the driver of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device and shows
the explosion from overhead, shot by an ISIS drone. The text on the Facebook
post accompanying the clip supported the acts depicted in the video. The video
had 181 likes/reactions and over 3,300 views approximately three days after it
was uploaded to Facebook. ISIS logos on the top right of the screen were
replaced with a Netflix logo.



It is unclear why Facebook’s video hash function or artificial intelligence
did not detect the video.



Clip from the ISIS video “The Caravan of Light” on Facebook. The video was
originally released on January 3, 2017. The version located on Facebook on
August 31 was uploaded to the website on August 28 and had over 3,300 views
within three days. ISIS logos on the top right of the screen were replaced with
the Netflix logo.



The same scene from the ISIS video “The Caravan of Light,” released on January
3, 2017, with the ISIS province logo in the upper right corner.



The nine profiles had between 176 and 3,064 friends or followers, with an
average of 954. Two accounts did not have their number of friends or followers
listed. The blog had 408 followers. CEP reported the nine accounts and one blog
to Facebook on August 31. Approximately 24 hours later, the nine accounts and
one blog were still online.



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