Skip to main content

Poe-Sherman Bill Passes Committee

December 9, 2015

Mandates Plan to Combat Terrorist Use of Social Media

Washington DC – Today the Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously passed the Combat Terrorist Use of Social Media Act, legislation introduced by Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA), former Chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, and Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX), current Chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism. The legislation would require the President to submit to Congress a strategy to combat terrorists' use of social media and a policy to enhance collaboration between the federal government and social media companies to counter terrorist activities online.

"The State Departments current strategy of combating terrorist propaganda online is not working – this is not my opinion, it is the opinion of the State Department's internal review. ISIS and other terrorist groups continue to use social media to spread their hateful rhetoric and recruit new fighters. We are losing a popularity contest to people who behead women. They boast their heinous acts, and prey upon vulnerable individuals who may become radicalized by their message. This legislation mandates the creation of a new and sophisticated plan to identify how terrorists are using social media, disrupt that activity, and disseminate counter messaging.

"Social media companies also have a role in this. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have made changes to take down harmful content, but that won't work unless the State Department is identifying the harmful content. The only thing worse than playing whack-a-mole, is to not whack the moles. Every time we see a terrorist operating on social media we should be taking it down before it is seen by the intended audience."

"It is also my hope that this legislation will prompt the State Department to hire experts in Islamic theology and in Islamic jurisprudence to combat the ISIS message," said Congressman Sherman.

Without a comprehensive plan, the presence and sophistication of terror groups on social media will continue to grow. The Wilson Center estimates that 90 percent of online terrorist activities occur over public social media platforms. The Brookings Institution found that ISIS supporters used an estimated 46,000 Twitter accounts between September and December 2014 alone.

The legislation was also sponsored by Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Elliot Engel (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and eight other members.

Watch Congressman Sherman's Speech in the House Foreign Affairs Committee here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VWg5LOPxJ8

-30-