Question
The rise of technology companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon has significantly impacted the spread of extremist content and propaganda. These platforms have inadvertently provided a global stage for extremist groups to disseminate their messages. For instance, extremist organizations can now easily post propaganda videos on platforms like YouTube, reaching millions of viewers within a short period. Similarly, social media platforms like Twitter have been used by supporters of extremist groups to spread their messages, with thousands of accounts posting tens of thousands of tweets each day. While these companies have the ability to censor such content, they often choose not to, citing free speech rights.
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Consider the fact that thirty years ago, extremist organizations would have to go to great effort to disseminate propaganda videos to more than a couple hundred people. "But today ISIS can make a video, post it for free on YouTube, and get two million views in a week – especially if it involves something horrific like a beheading." YouTube has every ability to censor for videos that threaten our national security or magnify the work of foreign threats. But they have chosen not to, hiding behind the veil of free speech. And extreme and dangerous content is not just a minor threat. As of 2015, ISIS supporters have 46,000 accounts on Twitter, and those accounts post upwards of 90,000 tweets each day. In 2013, ISIS could claim that 35,000 videos on YouTube were theirs.
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