Twitter terrorism a real threat, use caution online

With Twitter comes the responsibility to determine what information we choose to accept as viable, appropriate, reliable and secure. In this new age of technology and growing social media sites, it is easier to be mislead by what you see online.

While a headline may be misleading and harmlessly so, it can also be a real threat to security. Social media sites such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram have been infiltrated by those who seek to do more harm with a simple tweet than your everyday Twitter enthusiast.

Terrorists have grasped the new era of social media and are actively exploiting it as a means to recruit, propagate and spread fear worldwide. It’s the perfect platform to do so. Hiding behind a screen protected from anonymity, these men and women are able to instantaneously and effortlessly spread their message with virtually nothing to fear.

Social media sites aren’t doing much to stop the spread of online terrorism either. It leaves the general public to fend through any posts that may appear in their timeline or feed. Although Facebook’s terms of service indicate that violent, obscene and inappropriate material or usage will be blocked and potentially result in the termination of the account in violation, Twitter has no such guarantees.

While thousands of Twitter accounts related to the terrorist group ISIS have been shut down, there are too many accounts out there to terminate them all. This leaves us to question what involvement national security and the government has had in the unfolding of online terrorism. The Senate Intelligence Committee included language in a reauthorization bill earlier this summer that would require incorporations such as Facebook and Twitter to disclose any content seen on their systems that could indicate terrorist activity. This is a step in the right direction, but still not enough to ensure the safety of the people.

We need to take matters into our own hands. Now, I don’t mean taking it as far as becoming detectives and tracking down terrorists on your own. That is far too dangerous and should be left to the appropriate authorities. But there are measures that people can take to prevent falling victim to this online form of terrorism.

All you need to do is be aware of the information you are absorbing from the numerous social media sites you encounter on a daily basis. Recognizing that a post, tweet, video or picture is potentially a threat brings you a step closer to not falling into its trap. There is a chance that you will come across some sort of online terrorism. Be responsible and report it. This is the best way to ensure your safety and the safety of those around you.

Paidin Dermody is a journalism freshman. 

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