YouTube says it will redirect people searching for “violent extremist propaganda” and offer them videos that denounce terrorism.

People searching for certain terms relating to the so-called Islamic State group will be offered playlists of videos “debunking its mythology”. YouTube said it wanted to help prevent people being radicalised.

The company told the BBC that uploading IS propaganda was already against its terms and conditions.

In a blog post, the video-streaming giant said it was implementing ideas from the Redirect Method, a campaign that tries to steer the IS audience towards videos that debunk the group’s recruitment tactics.

Themed Playlists Tackle IS Claims

The themed video playlists challenge claims by the so-called Islamic State group that it provides good governance, is a strong military force, and that world powers are conspiring to harm Muslims.

Rather than producing new material, the playlists contain videos already uploaded to YouTube that present an opposing point of view, such as:

• testimony from people who have left IS, describing what life in the group was really like
• footage of a suffering elderly lady confronting two IS fighters and telling them to “return to the way of God”
• speeches by Imams denouncing violence and extremism
• footage from inside IS-controlled areas, showing the reality of life there

 

More information on this story can be found on the Cyber Safe Warwickshire website.

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