While social media companies claim to fight terrorism, ISIS-Khorasan freely operates a propaganda account on Instagram in Persian, openly sharing extremist content without concealment.
Shockingly, some posts are even boosted by Instagram’s algorithm, while accounts promoting anti-terrorism or human rights are quickly suspended.
Meta (Instagram’s parent company) revised its policies in January 2025, focusing moderation on severe violations like terrorism and child exploitation, while relying more on user reports for lesser infractions. Critics argue this has led to a rise in harmful content. The Center for Countering Digital Hate estimates that policy changes could allow 277 million harmful posts annually across Facebook and Instagram.
The report notes a double standard: Islamist extremist accounts are often removed swiftly, while far-right extremist groups face less scrutiny. This undermines user trust and raises doubts about the platforms’ neutrality.
In the digital age, social platforms shape public opinion and play a crucial role against extremism. But inconsistent enforcement and biased standards risk turning them into spaces that actually amplify extremist ideologies.
The piece concludes that platforms must urgently adopt transparent, fair, and consistent policies to effectively counter terrorism and radicalization.
