Date of Award
Summer 8-31-2026
Document Type
Open Access Honors Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Art (BA)
Department
Psychology
Advisor
Joseph Brown
Director
Leonard von Morze
Subject Categories
Digital Communications and Networking | Global Studies | International Relations | Islamic Studies | Religion
Abstract
Since the September 11th, 2001 attacks, jihadist groups like ISIS, al-Qaeda, and al-Shabaab have used the internet as a tool for recruitment, radicalization, and propaganda dissemination. Since then, governments, non-governmental organizations, and private companies have developed strategies to combat jihadism on the internet. This paper examines how these actors have worked to mitigate the digital jihadist footprint and its effects by analyzing three main approaches to countering violent Islamist extremism on the internet: counter narrative initiatives, awareness-raising programs, and content removals. This paper finds that each of these methods has its own strengths and weaknesses. Counter narrative campaigns show the most promise when led by NGOs rather than governments because governmental association can undermine programs’ credibility. Awareness-raising programs, particularly focusing on media literacy education, also show promising results. However, these programs do come with the risk of government overreach into Muslim civil society. Content removal is a necessary part of countering jihad online, but it is unsustainable as a primary method of counterterrorism on the internet. Ultimately, there is no single strategy that perfectly combats digital jihad; the most effective approach employs each method in concert with cooperation between governments, NGOs, and private companies.
Recommended Citation
Cook, Noah, "How Do Governments Combat Jihad Online?" (2026). Honors College Theses. 40.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/honors_theses/40
Included in
Digital Communications and Networking Commons, Global Studies Commons, International Relations Commons, Islamic Studies Commons
Comments
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