--- title: "ISIS Is Using TikTok to Spread Propaganda" description: "TikTok isn’t just for lighthearted 13-second-long lip-sync videos — some are using the app for something far more sinister. Militants for the terrorist group Islamic State, also known as ISIS, are using the social media video app to spread propaganda, The Wall Street Journal reports. The videos uploaded by purported Islamic State accounts have since […]" date: "2019-10-21" modified: "2019-10-21" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/isis-tiktok-spread-propaganda" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "ISIS" - "propaganda" - "social media" - "the digest" - "tiktok" --- # ISIS Is Using TikTok to Spread Propaganda ![Militants for the terrorist group Islamic State, also known as ISIS, are using the social media video app TikTok to spread propaganda.]() *\Image: TikTok\* ## TikTokaganda TikTok isn't just for lighthearted lipsync videos — some are using the app for far more sinister purposes. Militants for the terrorist group Islamic State, also known as ISIS, are using the social media video app to spread propaganda, according to an [exclusive report]() by *The Wall Street Journal*. "The rhyme, beat, evocative lyrics and punchy delivery are especially appealing to youth," Elisabeth Kendall, an Oxford University expert on extremism, told the newspaper. "This catchy sing-along method for propagating ISIS ideology means it spreads quickly and sticks in the collective memory. It tends to be far more effective than sermons or theological debate and treatises." ## Pink Hearts The videos uploaded by purported Islamic State accounts were taken down after the *Journal* flagged them. Social media intelligence group Storyful discovered posts uploaded by almost two dozen TikTok accounts. Some showed grizzly scenes, including corpses being paraded through streets, while others were backed by catchy Islamic State songs and adorned with pink hearts and peace sign emojis, as *WSJ* reports. ## Whack-A-Mole According to documents obtained by the Journal, TikTok was the third most installed app in 2018, with 30 percent of users under 18 years of age. ISIS has previously used other social media platforms including [Facebook and Twitter]() to spread propaganda. The platforms have since been in an endless whack-a-mole battle, taking down a few accounts while others continue to surface. **READ MORE:**[ Islamic State Turns to Teen-Friendly TikTok, Adorning Posts With Pink Hearts]() \[*The Wall Street Journal*\] **More on TikTok:** *[TikTok Tracks Users With Facial Recognition]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()