In today’s digital age, social media platforms are more than just spaces for entertainment and expression they have become potent tools for influence, attention and information, many people depend on social media for news and current affairs. Sadly, because of the volatility and unpredictability of user intention, those with sinister motives now used Social Media. Terrorist groups, once dependent on underground videos and obscure websites, have now embraced popular platforms like TikTok to spread propaganda and recruit followers.
TikTok is known for its short, engaging videos and massive youth user base, has inadvertently become a battleground for hearts and minds. As Muhammad, a counterterrorism researcher, notes, “Jihadists realised that to capture the minds of young people, they need to speak to them in the language they understand — instead of the traditional didactic and demagogic styles that are boring and unattractive to them.”
This strategic shift is yielding results. By crafting content that mimics trending videos engaging music, street slogans, and dramatised narratives, these insurgents in recent weeks are reaching tech-savvy youths who may not even realize they’re being indoctrinated. The aim is not just to inform, but to emotionally engage, to spark curiosity, and eventually convert viewers into sympathisers or recruits.
Security experts have raised alarms. Malik Samuel, a security analyst at the Abuja-based think tank Good Governance Africa, explains, “It is a common Boko Haram tactic to use the group’s young members to spread propaganda. I believe showing their faces is strategic — to show that they aren’t afraid and to let their target know that they are engaging with real people.”
While Boko Haram and its breakaway factions leverage grassroots-style, raw content, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) is said to follow a more polished, top-down approach to communication—producing higher quality videos and centralised messages to maintain a certain ideological brand.
This evolution of extremist messaging poses a significant challenge for individuals, governments and tech platforms alike. The Nigerian government, had been grappling with insurgency in the northeast for over 10 years, the country now face a modern twist to an old problem: how to combat terror in the digital realm.
TikTok, for its part, says it is taking action. The company announced a partnership with the UN-backed initiative Tech Against Terrorism to better detect and remove extremist content. “Our community guidelines clearly state that we do not allow the presence of violent and hateful organisations or individuals on our platform,” TikTok stated. “We will always take action on content found to violate these policies.”
But as fast as platforms evolve safety protocols, extremists find new ways to adapt. The challenge, then, is two-fold: strengthening digital surveillance and counter-narratives, while also addressing the root causes such as poverty, disillusionment, and lack of opportunities that make youth vulnerable to radical messages.
The digital jihad may be less about guns and bombs, and more about videos, views, and viral content. And as the lines between social influence and security threats continue to blur, governments, tech companies, and civil society must come together to reclaim the platforms now being weaponised by terror.
Ubong Usoro for Nigeria Magazine
