Extremist

Using tweets from 2009-2021, researchers have developed a predictive model that can detect extremist users and content related to the militant group 'Islamic State' (ISIS). Their work could help social media companies identify and eventually restrict such accounts in a timelier manner and abate their impact on online communities, they said. The researchers from the Pennsylvania State University, US, identified potential propaganda messages and their characteristics and developed an image classifier to find the most…

A chaotic scene unfolded at a historic Brooklyn synagogue as rogue members armed with shovels dug a secret tunnel to push for the expansion of the sanctuary, leading to arrests.A handful of disobedient members of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty, started digging the tunnel under its world headquarters, 770 Eastern Parkway, in Crown Heights, New York City, USA, during the pandemic.Their questionable and unprofessional construction work came as a result of higher-ups dragging their feet on…

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Liberal commentators frequently condemn conspiracy theories that threaten public safety. The US mainstream media exploded in 2016 when an armed man harassed diners in a Washington DC pizzeria, allegedly because he subscribed to the QAnon online conspiracy theory claiming that a Hillary Clinton-connected pedophile ring was operating from the restaurant. …

Under pressure from critics who say Substack is profiting from newsletters that promote hate speech and racism, the company's founders said Thursday that they would not ban Nazi symbols and extremist rhetoric from the platform."I just want to make it clear that we don't like Nazis either -- we wish no one held those views," Hamish McKenzie, a co-founder of Substack, said in a statement. "But some people do hold those and other extreme views. Given that, we don't think that censorship (including through demonetizing…

For instance, messages sent to an unrestricted channel called OfficialTheCollective, with more than 4,000 members, included tags to restricted channels like SpecialQForces, a QAnon conspiracy channel, and often encouraged users to join.One message posted to OfficialTheCollective even instructs users how to get around Google and Apple’s restrictions, saying, “Google and Apple censoring the Telegram app downloaded via Google Play and Apple App Store. Use the web browser.” The message includes instructions about how to…

Russia on Sunday put Meta Platforms spokesperson Andy Stone on a wanted list on unspecified charges as the US social media giant -- which owns Facebook -- is classed as "extremist" by Moscow. Russia has hugely cracked down on media and social media freedom since launching its Ukraine offensive last year and banning criticism of it. Elevate Your Tech Prowess with High-Value Skill CoursesOffering CollegeCourseWebsiteIndian School of BusinessISB Digital TransformationVisitIIM KozhikodeIIMK Senior Management ProgrammeVisitIIM…

David Gilbert / Wired: Experts say terrorist groups are using generative AI tools to evade the hashing algorithms used by tech companies to automatically remove extremist content — Experts are finding thousands of examples of AI-created content every week that could allow terrorist groups and other violent extremists to bypass automated detection systems. David Gilbert / Wired: Experts say terrorist groups are using generative AI tools to evade the hashing algorithms used by tech companies to…

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Prison subcultures have been described as antisocial, with ties to violence and gang membership. In extreme cases, research has also suggested that prison subcultures contribute to incarcerated people joining radical groups or embracing violent extremist beliefs. A new study examined the relation between prison subcultures and prison radicalization based on interviews with incarcerated men…

Russia's financial monitoring agency, Rosfinmonitoring, has added US tech giant Meta to its list of "terrorists and extremists", Russian news agencies reported on Tuesday. A Moscow court in June rejected an appeal by Meta - owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp - after it was found guilty of "extremist activity" in Russia in March. In court, Meta's lawyer at the time said Meta was not carrying out extremist activity and was against Russophobia. Meta did not reply to an emailed request for comment on…

Fast News Russia in late March banned Facebook and Instagram for "carrying out extremist activities" after authorities accused Meta of tolerating "Russophobia". Facebook and Instagram have been inaccessible in Russia since March, but many Russians resorted to VPN to keep using the social…