The twisted terrorits have created an army on online bots which automatically retweet their bile and watch sick beheading videos on YouTube, vastly distorting the apparent levels of support for the terrorist group.
The revelations came as defence experts warned that ISIS will increasingly look to inspire lone wolf terror attacks in the West as it continues to lose grounds in its Middle Eastern heartlands.
In a speech today the Minister for Internet Safety and Security, Baroness Shields, tells the leaders of the world’s biggest technology companies that the terrorists’ online propaganda machine is a 21st century scourge which must be shut down through international cooperation.
She also reveals how hackers for the desperate terrorist hate group - also known as Daesh - are going to increasingly sophisticated lengths to make life within its so-called Caliphate seem appealing, despite the daily reality of beheadings, cruelty and oppression.
She said: “They have a sophisticated strategy and a ready army of online volunteers willing to put it into action. And they know how to maximise their reach, using expert social media marketing tactics and automated technology like bots to gain fake followers and give the impression that they are stronger than they are – that their messages of hate and intolerance have more supporters than they do.
“They produce Hollywood style recruitment films that glorify violence and use game quality CGI to add excitement and interest -- propaganda that romanticises a life that bears no resemblance to the hell that is the reality on the ground.
“Independent experts estimate that an average of 200,000 Daesh-supporting tweets are posted every day. One of Daesh’s horrific murder videos was reported to have been viewed 150,000 times within 48 hours of its release. And with each one of those video views another seed of hatred, division and intolerance is sown.”
The minister will call on social media and technology companies across the globe to unite to wipe out the terrorists’ propaganda programme, which is aimed at inciting the most vulnerable members of Western societies to commit horrific suicide bomb attacks.
“While air strikes are degrading their positions in Iraq and Syria, Daesh are fighting a second war for the hearts and minds of the next generation, spreading a warped world-view online.
“They understand their audience, their grievances and how to exploit them. They typically prey on the young, marginalised and vulnerable. Often still in school they are persuaded to leave their families to pursue an apocalyptic dream or to take action that threatens safety and security at home.
“The generation most at risk are the first generation to grow up more technologically literate than their parents and teachers, who live their lives almost constantly connected to digital devices. This leaves them open and susceptible to influences online where they are not monitored or supervised. Open to opinions in an uncontested space.”
In the aftermath of the Paris massacre European authorities launched a huge crackdown on ISIS propaganda which saw 78 internet TV channels broadcasting in 12 different languages shut down.
Twitter suspended an astonishing 10,000 accounts linked to ISIS last year, whilst YouTube had to take down 14 million videos showing everything from glossy propaganda to sick beheadings.
But despite their success Baroness Shields warns that the terror threat is not one that can simply be taken on by Governments because it circumvents many of the traditional security apparatus of the state
She said: “Unlike in the physical world where national governments can take clear and firm actions to keep people safe, there are no such obvious solutions available in the virtual world. There are no borders or boundaries on the Internet and groups like Daesh know that only too well.
“It’s time to respond – but on an entirely new level – with a cohesive, committed and coordinated response. To reclaim the platforms, products and applications we love and use every day from those who exploit freedom of expression and openness to incite violence and push dogma and repression, Express reported
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