A new research report (released today) and updated data (released Tuesday) by the George Washington University Program on Extremism.
New Report
Full Text Report: Nazis vs. ISIS on Twitter: A Comparative Study of White Nationalist and ISIS Online Social Media Networks
32 pages; PDF.
Media Coverage: “White Nationalists Use Twitter With ‘Relative Impunity’ – Report” (via Reuters)
From the Article:
Eighteen prominent white nationalist accounts examined in the study, including the American Nazi Party, have seen a sharp increase in Twitter followers to a total of more than 25,000, up from about 3,500 in 2012, according to the study by George Washington University’s Program on Extremism that was seen by Reuters.
The study’s findings contrast with declining influence on Twitter Inc’s service for Islamic State, also known as ISIS, amid crackdowns that have targeted the militant group, according to earlier research by report author J.M. Berger and the findings of other counter-extremism experts and government officials.
Updated Data
The number of ISIS-related charges issued in the United States since March 2014 increased from 99 to 102, according to updated research from the George Washington University’s Program on Extremism.
The research, released Tuesday [August 30, 2016], names three individuals identified in August, following seven new charges in July.
The GW Extremism Tracker continuously monitors cases in the U.S. that are related to ISIS charges. It is regularly updated to identify new cases and monitor past cases with new information.
According to the latest analysis of cases, the average age of charged individuals was 26, arrests occurred in 25 states and their average prison sentence was 9.7 years. Additionally, 46 percent were accused of traveling or attempting to travel abroad, 29 percent were accused of plotting domestic terror attacks and 58 percent were arrested in an operation involving an informant and/or an undercover agent. The researchers also found that 48 individuals have pleaded or were found guilty in the U.S. legal system.
The GW Extremism Tracker compiles research in a series of monthly updates produced by the Program on Extremism, following a first-of-its-kind report that offered the most extensive examination to date of Americans arrested for sympathizing with ISIS.
According to the latest analysis of cases, the average age of charged individuals was 26, arrests occurred in 25 states and their average prison sentence was 9.7 years. Additionally, 46 percent were accused of traveling or attempting to travel abroad, 29 percent were accused of plotting domestic terror attacks and 58 percent were arrested in an operation involving an informant and/or an undercover agent. The researchers also found that 48 individuals have pleaded or were found guilty in the U.S. legal system.
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