WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. government statistics show the Islamic State group’s Twitter traffic plunging 45 percent in the past two years.
Officials see the drop and other data as evidence they’re making progress toward eliminating online terrorist propaganda.
When Washington formed an international coalition to fight IS in September 2014, the U.S. outlined five fronts.
Alongside military action and eliminating foreign fighters and finances, the U.S. stressed the need to confront the group’s extremist ideology and stem its popularity.
The campaign struggled early on. But the U.S. now believes it’s getting things right.
The U.S. figures show a 6-to-1 ratio of anti-IS content online compared with pro-IS content — an improvement over time.
When pro-IS Twitter accounts are discovered today, they have about 300 followers each. In 2014, they had 1,500 followers each.
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