Report

Online radicalisation and algorithms

This report from UK think tank the Henry Jackson Society looks at how extremists utilise platforms’ algorithms to radicalise vulnerable people.

This report looks at how extremists utilise platforms’ algorithms to radicalise vulnerable people. It finds that algorithms in use on social media platforms aid extremists and lead more people to self-radicalisation, it is the technology itself that promotes these messages. The internet has radically changed every aspect of society, and radicalisation is no different. The internet exists to enhance interaction, bring communities together and make the acquisition of information easier. Social media platforms are where the majority of these interactions and connections take place. This paper looks at how, since the early 2010s, extremists have become more media literate and primed their content to attract more people. They have used the tools of the internet to reach greater audiences.