Twitter Suspends Over 125,000 Accounts for Promoting Terrorist Acts

Posted on February 5, 2016

Twitter says it has suspended over 125,000 Twitter accounts for threatening or promoting terrorist acts. Twitter says these terrorist acts are primarily connected to ISIS.

Twitter also says in its post that it has increased the size of teams that review reports about threats of violence and terrorism. Twitter says in a statement, "We condemn the use of Twitter to promote terrorism and the Twitter Rules make it clear that this type of behavior, or any violent threat, is not permitted on our service."

Terrorist organizations like ISIS can use social media for threats, recruitment and propaganda. ISIS currently has other problems in addition to the sudden loss of over 100,000 Twitter accounts. CNN Money is reporting that the terrorist organization is slashing the salaries of its fighters by 50%. Even ISIS is being affected by what appears to be the start of a global recession.

Twitter's post included a compliment paid to them by the FBI. FBI Director James Comey praised Twitter in July 2015 for helping block terrorist content. Comey said Twitter is "very good and thoughtful and hardworking at trying to shut down [terrorism-related] accounts."