Against Violent Extremism Network

Donald M. Bishop, publicdiplomacycouncil.org

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Quotable: Nancy Scola on the messaging war against ISIL

Monday, August 24th 2015

In an essay appearing in Politico on August 12, 2015, “Obama's anti-ISIL push falls flat on social media,” Nancy Scola, who writes for the Washington Post, Politico, and other outlets on “the intersections of technology, politics, and public policy,” reported “The White House has floundered in its attempt to enlist social media companies in the messaging war against ISIL as Washington seeks to counter the terrorist group’s prowess online.”

The administration made clear it expected the tech world’s help at an anti-terrorism summit in February, saying the industry would take a lead role in developing the Internet pushback against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.  But six months later, companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter have largely avoided getting involved, according to interviews with more than a dozen U.S. officials, tech representatives and civil society groups.