A new study examines the scope and activity of IS supporters on social media

A new activity of IS supporters on social media in unprecedented detail

A new study has examined the scope and activity of IS supporters on social media in unprecedented detail, including a thorough discussion of the methodology used to create the report. The report’s findings include that in October through November 2014, at least 46,000 Twitter accounts were used by IS supporters. A sample of 20,000 confirmed IS supporters was examined to extract demographics data, with a plurality of users apparently residing in the territories controlled by the so-called Islamic State. The second-most common location for ISIS supporters was Saudi Arabia.

The report added that thousands of accounts have been suspended by Twitter since October 2014, measurably degrading IS’s ability to project its propaganda to wider audiences. The accounts most likely to be suspended were also those most important to distributing ISIS’s message, a group of highly organized activists who post tweets at a much faster pace than normal users.