By Adam Studzinski
BLOOMINGTON – The House this week passed legislation which would require the president to report to Congress on the U.S. strategy to combat the use of social media by terrorists and terrorist organizations, such as ISIS.
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) supports the bill.
“It’s common sense to think, when we look at the massive amounts of social media use that a group like ISIS puts forth, that it’s had an impact on radicalizing people outside of the areas that ISIS now controls as a pseudo nation-state,” he said.
A Brookings Institution report found that at least 46,000 Twitter accounts were used by ISIS supporters between October and November of 2014.
“This administration has not done enough to combat ISIS and that, basically, put them on the defense over in the Middle East that they now control,” said Davis. “They’re able to act like a pseudo nation-state and spread their message of hate.”
Davis said if the U.S. can stop one person from being radicalized through social media, then it’s a success.
The bill has yet to be taken up by the Senate.
Adam Studzinski can be reached at adam.studzinski@cumulus.com.
