Steep rise in extremists being radicalised on social media

‹Social media plays a part in the radicalisation of more than 80 per cent of terrorists or extremists, more than double that of 15 years ago, research for the Ministry of Justice shows.

The research warned that social media was “a very important radicalising agent” with 83 per cent of convicted extremists investigated set on their potentially violent paths partly or fully through the internet.

The figure contrasted with just 35 per cent in 2005-09 and 64 per cent of those convicted between 2010 and 2014, according to the researchers from Nottingham Trent and Bournemouth universities.

They warned that social media companies needed to take responsibility to prevent online radicalisation.

The research was based on detailed official reports on 248 convicted “radicalised extremists”, of whom 76 per cent were Islamist, 11 per cent Rightwing, seven per cent animal rights and six per cent “other political”.

The increase was most marked for women and girls with a 75 per cent jump in cases since 2005, and younger extremists, where there was a 54 per cent rise.