Examining Botnet Behaviors for Propaganda Dissemination: A Case Study of ISIL's Beheading Videos-Based Propaganda

Abstract

Since the dissemination of the first beheading video by the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) of its hostage James Foley (an American journalist), this practice has become increasingly common. Videos of ISIL beheading their hostages in orange jumpsuits swarmed over social media as they swept across Iraq. By showing such shocking videos and images, ISIL is able to spread their opinions and create emotional attitudes for their followers. Through a sophisticated social media strategy and strategic use of botnets, ISIL is succeeding in its propaganda dissemination. ISIL is using social media as a tool to conduct recruitment and radicalization campaigns and raise funds. In this study, we examine the reasons for creating such videos grounded in the literature from cultural anthropology, transnationalism and religious identity, and media & communication. Toward this direction, we collect data from Twitter for the beheadings done by ISIL, especially the Egyptian Copts, the Arab-Israeli "Spy", and the Ethiopian Christians. The study provides insights into the way ISIL uses social media (especially Twitter) to disseminate propaganda and develop a framework to identify sociotechnical behavioral patterns from social and computational science perspective.