MEMRI Exposes The Taliban's Use Of The San Francisco-Based Internet Archive As The Its Main Platform For Posting Their Jihad, Martyrdom, And Other Terrorist Videos

WASHINGTON, D.C. / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) has published a report by MEMRI Executive Director Steven Stalinsky titled "The Taliban Choose The San Francisco-Based Internet Archive As Main Platform For Posting Their Jihad And Martyrdom Videos."

In the report, Mr. Stalinsky writes: "Every day, researchers from the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) and Domestic Terrorism Threat Monitor (DTTM) projects see jihadis, as well as neo-Nazis/white supremacists, freely uploading their content directly to the Internet Archive (archive.org). Once it is uploaded, they circulate the Internet Archive links to it via their own social media accounts to their own networks of followers on a range of platforms, to all interested parties."

This report includes background on how the Internet Archive has become so popular amongst hate groups - both jihadis and neo-Nazi types. This has happened especially because the online library does nothing to prevent these groups from having free access to the platform, prioritizing its massive archive collection over the removal of any content, even if this content is actively inciting hatred and violence.

Mr. Stalinsky continues: "In contrast to their attention to other online platforms, including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, both Congress and media have failed to focus on the Internet Archive as a platform for hate groups. Such attention on their part is long overdue, if they really want to address online hate."

The massive online digital library allows these groups and individuals to easily create an account with only an email address, in order to - in the Internet Archive's own words - ‘upload movies, audio, texts, software, images, and other formats... any time you wish.' The page and link created when content is uploaded can be shared with anyone else at any time.

MEMRI has published a number of reports on hate groups uploading their content to the Internet Archive. One series was on Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS) content hosted on it; most recently, in January 2021, we published an in-depth study on neo-Nazi and white supremacist use of the Internet Archive:

• Al-Qaeda, Jihadis Infest the San Francisco, California-Based "Internet Archive" Library, August 17, 2011
• U.S.-Based 'Internet Archive' Hosts Massive Amount Of Neo-Nazi, White Supremacist, And Holocaust Denial Propaganda - Serving As Major Resource For Recruitment And Radicalization, January 26, 2021.

Government and media can request a copy of "The Taliban Choose The San Francisco-Based Internet Archive As Main Platform For Posting Their Jihad And Martyrdom Videos" by writing to media@memri.org with the report title in the subject line.

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SOURCE: Middle East Media Research Institute