Dark Net, social media and extremism

Zirojević, Mina and Marković, Darko M. (2025) Dark Net, social media and extremism. In: International Scientific Conference - BINS 2025 Transdisciplinarity of security studies and practice, Belgrade, May 8-9, 2025. Faculty of Diplomacy and Security, Belgrade, pp. 91-101. ISBN 978-86-87545-51-9

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Abstract

The recent IS attack in Jakarta highlights the increasing use of the dark web to conceal and protect terrorist communications. Radicalization via Internet networks, the spread of false and half-truths, and the recruitment of new members into terrorist organizations via the Internet have long been well documented. In June 2015, Beatrice Burton wrote about IS's superior messaging and engagement capabilities, which should direct us to achieve at least equal effectiveness in countering such activities. There is ample evidence that one of the reasons for the lack of success in the fight against radical extremism is the overanalysis of narratives. Responses to these direct narratives are often too academic and research-oriented, failing to reach the target groups. Most extremist movements convey a relatively simple message – one that is easy to understand and easy to accept. An effective counter-narrative should consist exclusively of photos, videos and 140 characters. No more, no less. In this paper, we answer the question of what an effective response should entail and what the success of its implementation depends on, despite potential challenges and obstacles.

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