Twitter reportedly struggles to keep ISIS accounts offline
It's deleting accounts only slightly faster than extremists can create them.
Twitter may be having some success in reducing ISIS' online presence, but it's undoubtedly facing an uphill battle. Threat intelligence outlet Recorded Future estimates that Twitter deleted over 26,000 pro-ISIS accounts in March, but saw 21,000 accounts created that same month. That's three times as many new accounts as ISIS supporters made back in September. If the figures are accurate, they suggest that Twitter is fighting to keep above water -- it can only do so much to purge accounts that are frequently recreated shortly after they're removed.
We've asked Twitter for its take on the data, and we'll let you know if it has something to say. Regardless, the info suggests that more might be necessary if Twitter wants to keep pace. Also, it's a stark reminder that the only surefire way to fight extremism is to deal with it in the real world. So long as it's easy to sign up for social networks in the first place, those less-than-savory elements will keep coming back.
