Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Online: An Anecdotal Case Study Related to Engaging ISIS Members and Sympathizers (from North America, Western Europe, and Australia) on Twitter

As the conflict in Syria has escalated and the attention paid to foreign fighters increases, many Western citizens who have joined extremist groups (particularly that which calls itself the “Islamic State” or ISIS) have taken to posting tales of their exploits on various social networking platforms. They do this for both propaganda and recruitment purposes, as well as to project onto themselves a romanticized version of Islamic history. This article documents attempts by the author to interact with ISIS and its followers through online messaging by direct involvement on Twitter and by engaging individuals and networks sympathetic to extremist messaging.