The Influence of Social Media on Homegrown Terrorists; How the U.S. Government’s Metadata Collection Programs Operates and Prioritizes National Security and Civil Liberties

Military Law Seminar Fall 2014

Article: The Influence of Social Media On Homegrown Terrorists; How the U.S. Government’s Metadata Collection Programs Operates And Prioritizes National Security and Civil Liberties

I.

The Developing World of Social Media Social media activity accounts for over 22 percent of all time spent online in the

United States, making it the number one activity people do on the Internet.1 However, the world of social media extends beyond Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Social networking sites are developing faster than they can be analyzed and popping up all over the world. But social media is not a new phenomenon either; people have been seeking out like-minded individuals in online communities for nearly two decades. During the infancy stages of social media people logged onto forums, blogs, chat rooms etc. Each social media platform varies slightly from the next - allowing for different types of content to be generated - but each platform seeks to accomplish two goals; generating content and engaging with other interested people. Modern terrorists are taking advantage of the fruits of globalization and modern technology, especially advanced online communication technologies that are used to plan, coordinate and execute their deadly campaigns. No longer geographically

Jihadist Use Of Social Media—How To Pre- Vent Terrorism And Preserve Innovation: Hearing Before the Committee On Homeland Security of the H. Subcomm. Counterterrorism and Intelligence, 112th Cong.

1

1

constrained within a particular territory, or politically or financially dependent on a particular state, they rely on technologically modern forms of communication including the Internet. The Internet has long been a favorite tool for terrorists.2 a. Understanding the Social Landscape Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, was in high school when America was attacked Tuesday, September 11, 2001 - three years later he created a website that transformed...