Europol warning concerning use of Twitter by ISIS terrorists

11.6.2015

Question for written answer E-009554-15
to the Council
Rule 130
Mara Bizzotto (NI)

According to a report sent to the European Council of Ministers by Europol in March 2015, there are currently around 46 000 different Twitter accounts used by ISIS followers and militants, tweeting over 90 000 messages per day in support of the radical, violent ideology espoused by the terrorist organisation and inciting followers to commit acts of terror. ISIS terrorists are also using Twitter to send encrypted communications, which are very difficult to monitor, directly to terrorist cells.

Considering that terrorist organisations are making increasingly frequent use of the web and of social media for purposes of communication and organisation, and to spread their messages of hate, what steps does the Council intend to take to tackle terrorism on the Internet, in particular on social media and Twitter, such as that highlighted by the European Police Office?