Extremist Communities in Social Networks: Problems of Detection and Counteraction

The purpose of this study was to study the risks and threats lurking in the virtual space, since the Internet is today an integral part of human life. And despite the great opportunities it provides, in recent years the amount of extremist content broadcast has been steadily growing, new members are being recruited into extremist groups in social networks, calls for anti-government rallies are being made, neo-fascist communities are being created, etc. The objectives of the study are to determine social networks as Internet resources where extremist ideology is being planted. And for this it is necessary to fulfill the following conditions of an interactive multi-user website: social network content filled by site users; the presence of an automated environment in which a mutual connection is established between users (a group of users) based on similar interests and preferences; availability of access to information about objects existing in the given environment; implementation of the communicative function between users. Conclusions: the choice of a social network is determined by the preferences of users. Understanding the vast resource base of social networks, is it any wonder that extremists are actively using its capabilities to post their materials. Social networks contain materials of various genres, their capabilities allow you to distribute any content almost unlimitedly, and thus reach a large audience in a short time. They are intended, first of all, for young people, whose number on certain Internet sites reaches several hundred thousand subscribers, and here the emissaries of extremism are deploying large-scale propaganda and recruitment. And, despite the fact that every day the list of banned groups on social networks is replenished, and Facebook and Instagram have been banned in Russia since March 2022, since the American company Meta Platforms Inc., to which they belong, is recognized as an extremist organization that broadcasts illegal appeals to violence, in their place there are new calls for extremist activities.

social networks, extremist ideology, recruitment, propaganda, counteraction