Extremist Content Online: Pro-ISIS Propaganda Videos Encourage Attacks In Egypt And Europe
(New York, N.Y.) — The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by extremists to exploit the Internet and social media platforms to recruit followers and incite violence. Last week, CEP researchers located a pro-ISIS propaganda video on Telegram and other websites celebrating attacks in Egypt’s Sinai region, another pro-ISIS video encouraging attacks in Europe, the 21st issue of a pro-ISIS web magazine, and numerous accounts on Meta-owned Instagram posting pro-ISIS propaganda.
Additionally, a white supremacist active club posted a link for a YouTube channel dedicated to cave and urban exploration with a recommendation to users that a “culture of adventure, combat etc. sells better.”
Pro-ISIS Online Propaganda Group Releases First Video in Two Years
On January 27, the pro-ISIS propaganda group War and Media Agency released its first video since January 2021. The video was initially released on Telegram before being released on several other websites on January 27 and 29.
The video, which was over one hour long, contained extensive previously released footage from ISIS propaganda videos and included combat and execution scenes. Focusing on Egypt and its Sinai region, the video condemned the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood for allegedly spying for the military and intelligence services and covering up military violence against protesters in the early 2010s. The video repeatedly stated that the Muslim Brotherhood refused to fight and “surrender(s) the people’s neck to the army.”
The video also included a history of Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis in Sinai and their eventual pledge of allegiance to ISIS in 2014. The video celebrated ISIS attacks on the Egyptian Coptic community. The video concluded with footage of an ISIS attack in Ismailia in 2023 and promising future attacks in Sinai.
In addition to Telegram and pro-ISIS websites, the video was released on at least 13 other websites. Four days later, the video was available on five websites: Vudeo.io, Jirafeau, Antopie.org, pCloud, and thefileditch.ch. The file was removed after CEP reported the video to File.Fm, GoFile.Io, FromSmash, MediaFire, Mail.Ru, and Mega.Nz on January 30. Additional links were removed by the Internet Archive after CEP reported them.
The GoFile.Io link had over 1,250 downloads before it was removed, and the video on File.Fm had over 800 views, and 200 downloads before the website removed it.