Roundup: Extremist Content
Online
Far-Right, Islamist
Extremists Continue to Spread Their Propaganda on the
Internet
(New York, N.Y.) – The Counter Extremism Project
(CEP) reports regularly on the methods used by extremists to exploit
the Internet and social media platforms to recruit followers and
incite violence. Despite tech companies’ recent promises to remove
this material, extremists—including Islamists and the far
right—continue to use a variety of sites to spread hate and inspire
attacks.
A roundup of CEP’s Extremist Content Online releases from the last
few months of 2019 and into 2020 illustrate extremists’ enduring
presence on the Internet.
Video
on White Supremacist Telegram Channels Invokes James Mason, Promotes
Violence
A video originally posted on several white supremacist Telegram
channels on July 3, 2019, featuring James Mason and calling for
violence, was reposted on September 25 on the Telegram channel
belonging to a white supremacist group that endorses terrorism. The
same video was also located on YouTube, having been uploaded on August
11. The video on YouTube had 139 views on October 1. The video
includes footage and quotes from James Mason in an interview for an
MSNBC program in which he states that he does not condemn acts of
violence, and that violence should be “worthwhile.” Mason also stated
that more counter-protesters in Charlottesville should have been
killed.
The James Mason propaganda video on
YouTube on October 1, over seven weeks after it was uploaded.
For more extremist content online from the week of October 1, 2019,
please click here.
Video
and Text of Recent Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Speech located on Several
Websites
Video featuring a static background or the text of then-ISIS leader
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s September 16, 2019, speech was uploaded to
several different sites. Titled “And Say, Act,” Baghdadi urged his
supporters to be patient and stated the importance of educating fellow
Muslims about the self-proclaimed caliphate, allowing the group to
grow, maintaining piety, and asking that fighters be just in their
dealings with Muslims. Baghdadi also called for ISIS fighters to free
men, women, and children in prisons and refugee camps, and to attack
individuals who run those facilities.
Text versions of the speech in Bengali and Arabic were uploaded to
at least 11 websites in addition to Telegram: Mediafire, Anonfile,
Anonymousfiles.io, mail.ru, Google Drive, file.io, mega.nz,
transfer.sh, top4top, pdf-archive.com, and x0.at. Approximately six
days after they were uploaded, the text version of the speech was
still available on eight websites: Mediafire, Anonfile,
Anonymousfiles.io, mail.ru, mega.nz, transfer.sh, pdf-archive.com, and
xo.at. Video of the speech, consisting of audio with a static
background, was uploaded to at least five websites in addition to
Telegram on September 30: ok.ru, mail.ru, pCloud.com, mega.nz, and
Mediafire. Three days later, the video was still available on all five
websites.
“And Say, Act” on pCloud, three
days after it was uploaded. October 3, 2019.
For more extremist content online from the week of October 7, 2019,
please click here.
German
Far-Right Terrorist Attack Broadcast on Twitch, Spread On
Telegram
On Yom Kippur, October 9, Stephan Balliet attempted to attack a
synagogue in the German city of Halle. Balliet, who was armed with a
rifle and several homemade firearms and explosives, was unable to gain
access to the synagogue and instead shot a female bystander and a male
in a restaurant. Balliet engaged in a gun battle with police before he
was taken into custody.
Using a helmet mounted camera, the gunman livestreamed his assault
on the Amazon-owned streaming platform Twitch, which later claimed
that the 35-minute livestream was viewed by five people. They then
stated that the subsequent archived video was removed after being
online for 30 additional minutes, but not before it was viewed by
approximately 2,200 people. Links to the Twitch stream were spread on
4chan’s politically incorrect board, far-right Telegram channels, and
on Twitter.
The video was spread on far-right Telegram channels, including
those that specifically endorse terrorism, revere the New Zealand
Christchurch attacker, and promote racism and fascism. At
approximately 11 a.m. Eastern Time on October 14, the main copy of the
video on Telegram (and spread on numerous channels) had been viewed
more than 72,000 times. Other copies of the video, available via
BitTorrent, were spread via the neo-Nazi website the Daily Stormer,
and a humor and gaming Internet forum popular with extremists.
For more extremist content online from the week of October 14,
2019, please click here.
Recruiting
Video From The Base Located On The Internet Archive, Group Announces
New Recruiting Initiative In Australia
A recruiting video from the neo-Nazi self-described survivalist
network, The Base, was located this week on the Internet Archive and
Telegram. The same video was uploaded by two different accounts on the
Internet Archive, one in late September 2019, the other on October 23.
It was originally released in late September, and includes footage
from two recent U.S. House Homeland Security Committee hearings on
violence and white supremacism. The video also includes footage
originally released in June, August, and September that shows members
of The Base training with firearms, and shooting at a target with a
Star of David.
The Base is an international white supremacist group that seeks to
prepare its members for a race war. The group has operated several
training camps in the U.S., disseminated bomb-making information,
praised terrorists and mass shooters, and is friendly with the
neo-Nazi group the Atomwaffen Division.
On October 24, recruiters for The Base announced a new drive for
members in Australia on Gab. The group announced a new recruitment
email address specifically for potential members from Australia using
the service Proton Mail. The group has previously claimed to have
members in Australia, and has sought recruits in Western Australia
through online recruitment and posters in the city of Vincent. An
older Australian recruitment poster featured the skyline of the city
of Perth. Gab deleted the group’s main account in the summer of 2019,
but several of the group’s supporters and recruiters still maintain
profiles on the social media site.
For more extremist content online from the week of October 28,
2019, please click here.
ISIS Announces Death of Former Leader and Spokesman, Names
Replacements
On October 31, 2019, ISIS’s Al Furqan Media Foundation admitted
that the group’s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and spokesman, Abul
Hasan al-Muhajir, were dead and named replacements for both. The audio
announcement declared Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Qurayshi as the
group’s new caliph, and Abu Hamza al-Qurayshi as the new spokesman.
Following the Al Furqan release, individuals in pro-ISIS Telegram
chats and channels pledged their allegiance to ISIS’s new leader and
called for attacks in the West. The appointment of both men was
confirmed in ISIS’s newsletter Al Naba issue number 206, released
several hours following the audio statement on October 31.
In addition to Telegram, the audio file was released on at least 19
websites: file.fm, top4top, the Microsoft One Drive, Amazon Drive, the
Internet Archive, Audiomack, clypt.it, mega.nz, Soundcloud,
transfer.sh, Dropbox, khlgy.com, Mediafire, Podomatic, Zippyshare,
Yadi.sk, Solidfiles, Turbobit, and Userscloud. Approximately four
hours later, the audio file was still active on 15 websites in
addition to Telegram: file.fm, top4top, Audiomack, clyp.it, mega.nz,
Soundcloud, transfer.sh, Dropbox, khlgy.com, Mediafire, Podomatic,
Zippyshare, Yadi.sk, Turbobit, and Userscloud.
ISIS’s Al Furqan announcement on
Soundcloud, with more than 1,240 “plays” approximately four hours
after it was uploaded.
For more extremist content online from the week of November 4,
2019, please click here.
Recently
Released ISIS Video Still Widely Available Online
On November 6, 2019, ISIS released a video from their
self-proclaimed North Baghdad province in Iraq, titled “Fate of the
Criminals.” The video shows ISIS sleeper cells operating at night and
committing attacks on property and equipment as well as executions of
Popular Mobilization Forces militia members, including shootings and a
beheading. The video also profiles an Iraqi ISIS suicide bomber.
In addition to Telegram, the video was released on at least 24
websites: ownCloud, Mediafire. Top4top, the Microsoft One Drive,
Amazon Drive, the Internet Archive, mail.ru, ddl.to, Google Drive,
Google Photos, file.fm, letsupload.co, mega.nz, mir.cr, Mirrorace.com,
ok.ru, pc.cd, tune.pk, Dropbox, khlgy.com, Vidio, Zippyshare
Zupload.net, and Turbobit. Seven to eight days later, the video was
still available on 15 websites: ownCloud, Mediafire, Top4top, mail.ru,
ddl.to, file.fm, letsupload.co, mega.nz, mir.cr, Mirrorace, ok.ru,
Vidio, Zippyshare, Zupload, and Turbobit. The video was additionally
located on Tune.pk, where it was online for two days when it was
located, and the Internet Archive, where it was online for 24 hours
when it was located.
For more extremist content online from the week of November 18,
2019, please click here.
Teenage
British Neo-Nazi Convicted of Planning Attacks on Synagogues Was
Active on Fascist Websites
The 16-year-old neo-Nazi convicted of planning to firebomb
synagogues in the United Kingdom posted on the website Fascist Forge,
where according to prosecutors he had “obtained and shared terror
manuals on making explosives and firearms.” The individual had also
sought ISIS execution videos, and was interested in using al-Qaeda
manuals to manufacture poisons. Fascist Forge is a white supremacist
web forum for followers of the neo-Nazi writer and propagandist James
Mason, as well those who follow esoteric Hitlerism and fascist
influenced forms of Satanism.
CEP has previously contacted the web services companies that help
Fascist Forge stay online, with two—Hostinger and DeamHost—ceasing
their provision of services to the site. Fascist Forge currently uses
Cloudflare as its name server. It is unclear who is currently
providing registry services to the website. Fascist Forge users have
also previously posted instructions for manufacturing firearms and
have discussed assassinations, lone actor terrorism, and have called
for a campaign of targeted sexual violence against women. As of
November 21, the forum had more than 1,300 registered users, up from
400 in January 2019.
For more extremist content online from the week of November 25,
2019, please click here.
ISIS
Releases New Video on Multiple Platforms
On December 4, ISIS released a new video from their self-proclaimed
province in Libya. The video, slightly over 30 minutes long and titled
“And Expel Them From Wherever They Have Expelled You,” showed ISIS
fighters participating in house raids, raiding checkpoints, and
executing members of the Libyan National Army.
The video was spread on pro-ISIS Telegram and TamTam channels. In
addition to being posted directly on both messenger platforms, the
video was posted to at least 14 other websites: Dropbox, Top4top, the
Microsoft One Drive, the Internet Archive, Dailymotion, file.fm,
mega.nz, Mihan Video, mail.ru, ok.ru, pc.cd, uqload.com, the Amazon
Cloud Drive, and Mediafire. Approximately 48 hours after the video was
uploaded, it was still available on nine websites: Top4top, the
Microsoft One Drive, file.fm, mega.nz, Mihan Video, mail.ru, ok.ru,
uqload.com, and Mediafire.
The ISIS video “And Expel Them From
Wherever They Have Expelled You,” on the Microsoft One Drive, December
6, 2019.
For more extremist content online from the week of December 10,
2019, please click here.
Self-Proclaimed
Atomwaffen Division in Ukraine Releases Video and
Pamphlet
On December 10, 2019, a video was released by a group claiming to
be an Atomwaffen Division (AWD) cell in Ukraine. The video shows five
men wearing camouflage uniforms and AWD patches, as well as digitally
blurred patches for what appears to be the Ukrainian Azov Battalion
and Right Sector. One of the individuals threatened Ukrainian
politicians with violence, and stated that they “surrender our native
land to the enemies and exploit our great race.” The video includes
footage from other groups, including a clip originally from protests
in Kiev in 2014, and footage from far-right marches in Ukraine.
The Telegram channel that posted the video also uploaded an
accompanying pamphlet that advises readers on how to create their own
AWD cell. The pamphlet includes an “AWD oath,” instructions on
composing a uniform, a reading list, and information on joining. A
version of the video was also available on YouTube. The copy on
YouTube was on the site for approximately two days when it was
located, and had 37 views.
For more extremist content online from the week of December 17,
2019, please click here.
Christchurch
Terror Attack Video Located on the Internet Archive
In mid-December, CEP researchers located the full video of the
March 15 Christchurch terror attack on the Internet Archive. The
video, made by Brenton Tarrant, who is accused of killing 51 and
injuring 40 people, was originally livestreamed on Facebook before it
spread to other sites on the Internet. The version on the Internet
Archive was uploaded in early October and was viewed approximately 140
times. The same Internet Archive account uploaded additional video
clips taken from the full video that were modified with video game
graphics, or had additional music included.
For more extremist content online from the week of December 23,
2019, please click here.
New
ISIS Video from West Africa Province Released on Several
Websites
A new ISIS video was released on January 10, 2020, from the group’s
self-proclaimed West Africa province. The video includes footage from
various locations in approximately the past two years. The video
includes gory combat footage, including previously released clips
taken from a helmet mounted camera during the 2017 Tongo Tongo ambush
when U.S. and Nigerian soldiers were attacked by Islamic State in the
Greater Sahara. The video also includes previously released footage
from Amaq News clips. The video concludes with the execution of two
soldiers in Mali.
In addition to Telegram and TamTam, the video was uploaded to at
least eleven websites: Microsoft One Drive, Amazon Drive, the Internet
Archive, mail.ru, file.fm, ok.ru, tune.pk, Dropbox, Vidyard, Vimeo,
and YouTube. Three hours after being uploaded, the video was still
available on six websites: the Microsoft One Drive, Amazon Drive, the
Internet Archive, mail.ru, file.fm, and Vidyard. A shortened version
of the video was located on YouTube, and it was removed after being on
the platform for approximately ten minutes. The video was also located
on Vimeo, after being online for approximately one hour. Links for the
video were spread on Telegram, TamTam, Hoop, Nandbox, and
JustPaste.It.
For more extremist content online from the week of January 13,
2020, please click here.
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