# Why does ISIS have access to FB, Twit, or anything on the Internet?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 7, 2015, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467 "2015-07-07T13:37:48Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2015, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/1 "2015-07-07T13:37:48Z")
I keep hearing news media say ISIS is utilizing social media to their benefit, and that we’re worried about the propaganda getting through to vulnerable youth for recruitment. Seems like a no brainier to me… Just cut them off! ?
We bomb the bridges and other pieces of infrastructure in their part of the world, so wipe out their ISP.
Sure there are some in other countries, but it would slow them down significantly if they were unable to communicate efficiently.
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### Author:  [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2015, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/2 "2015-07-07T13:39:52Z")
Social media companies don’t have the time nor inclination to continue updating IP addresses that would need to be blocked.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2015, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/3 "2015-07-07T13:47:06Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#):
>
> We bomb the bridges and other pieces of infrastructure in their part of the world, so wipe out their ISP.
How do you plan to do that?
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### Author:  [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2015, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/4 "2015-07-07T14:02:15Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#):
>
> Social media companies don’t have the time nor inclination to continue updating IP addresses that would need to be blocked.
What are you basing that fact on?
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2015, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/5 "2015-07-07T14:08:20Z")
To echo the latter question, [Twitter](http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/02/isis-threatens-twitter-employees-over-blocked-accounts-jack-dorsey) and other social media providers do make substantial efforts to block ISIS-related accounts.
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### Author:  [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2015, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/6 "2015-07-07T14:08:31Z")
> [@White SIFL](#):
>
> What are you basing that fact on?
I believe that FB and Twitter will actively close down accounts when they are reported, but there is no way for them to find them without someone reporting them, although my guess is they are trying to figure out a way to do that based on content etc. Of course for every account they close, ISIS can open 10 more, and the cycle continues…
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### Author:  [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2015, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/7 "2015-07-07T15:15:11Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> How do you plan to do that?
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Seriously though, a provider is a business with a building and equipment somewhere. Cut them off like any other utility could be, power, phone, gas, water…flip the switch.
If some non-Isis folks are affected too… Oh well, my sympathies really.
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### Author:  [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/8 "2015-07-07T15:20:07Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#):
>
> Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
>
> Seriously though, a provider is a business with a building and equipment somewhere. Cut them off like any other utility could be, power, phone, gas, water…flip the switch.
> If some non-Isis folks are affected too… Oh well, my sympathies really.
Way to cripple the internet! I should imagine that would give ISIS some satisfaction.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/9 "2015-07-07T15:32:59Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#):
>
> Seriously though, a provider is a business with a building and equipment somewhere. Cut them off like any other utility could be, power, phone, gas, water…flip the switch.
> If some non-Isis folks are affected too… Oh well, my sympathies really.
I am not sure if it is your grasp of geography or how wars work that is deficient here, but ISIS is not tweeting from downtown Baltimore or someplace. If the person in charge of ISIS’ ISP “flips the switch,” he will quickly be replaced. Also, killed.
You might as well ask why we didn’t just “flip the switch” on all those Soviet nuclear launch facilities during the Cold War. I mean, where there’s a will…
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### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/10 "2015-07-07T15:56:49Z")
All things duly considered, I would rather have an internet so open that ISIS (and anyone else) has access to it for purposes both good and evil than to have an ISIS-less world with a policed and restricted internet.
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### Author:  [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2015, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/11 "2015-07-07T16:05:13Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> I am not sure if it is your grasp of geography or how wars work that is deficient here, but ISIS is **not tweeting from downtown Baltimore or someplace**.
(bolding mine)
I wouldn’t be so sure about that.
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### Author:  [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/12 "2015-07-07T16:09:44Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#):
>
> Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
>
> Seriously though, a provider is a business with a building and equipment somewhere. Cut them off like any other utility could be, power, phone, gas, water…flip the switch.
> If some non-Isis folks are affected too… Oh well, my sympathies really.
By “A Provider” you mean, Twitter, Facebook, and Gmail? So we should shut down Facebook because ISIS uses Facebook?
It’s not like all of traffic from ISIS comes out of some building in the middle of the Syrian desert. What happens is that some guy somewhere in the world starts a gmail account. He posts ISIS related material until the account gets shut down. Then he starts another account.
Or are you talking about cutting off internet access to everyone in Syria and Iraq? Like, it’s all done from one building, we drop a bomb on the building, and suddenly ISIS has no more internet?
Maybe you don’t understand what the internet is? This article might help: [Internet - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet)
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### Author:  [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/13 "2015-07-07T17:08:39Z")
[Sometimes,](http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/tech/2015/06/04/air-force-isis-social-media-target/28473723/) having your enemy connected to the grid is helpful.
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### Author:  [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/14 "2015-07-07T17:19:13Z")
> [@Ravenman](#):
>
> [Sometimes,](http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/tech/2015/06/04/air-force-isis-social-media-target/28473723/) having your enemy connected to the grid is helpful.
From that cite…
_including 4,200 strikes, dropping 14,000 weapons, resulting in about 13,000 enemy fighters killed. The coalition has destroyed more than 1,000 vehicles and 50 improvised explosive device factories, and most of the “cash cows” bringing money into the group._
What is it with these ISIS morons that they don’t see the writing on the wall? Eventually, each one of their numbers will come up.
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### Author:  [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2015, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/15 "2015-07-08T03:33:02Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#):
>
> Way to cripple the internet! I should imagine that would give ISIS some satisfaction.
Blocking or cutting one area of the world will not cripple the whole internet. It’s hardly a hotbed of commerce and activity that the rest of the world depends on these days. And it wasn’t long ago we were all without the internet. Life would go on.
> [@AHunter3](#):
>
> All things duly considered, I would rather have an internet so open that ISIS (and anyone else) has access to it for purposes both good and evil than to have an ISIS-less world with a policed and restricted internet.
An ISIS-less world sounds pretty good to me actually. I get that it’s a slippery slope to further restriction, and I don’t like that either, but to save lives I think it’s worth the risk.
> [@Lemur866](#):
>
> By “A Provider” you mean, Twitter, Facebook, and Gmail? So we should shut down Facebook because ISIS uses Facebook?
No, not at all. Those are web based social networking services. What I’m talking about is location based blocking of their internet service provider (like your local cable company). They’re hooking up to something over there.
> [@Lemur866](#):
>
> It’s not like all of traffic from ISIS comes out of some building in the middle of the Syrian desert.
So since we can’t block 100%, it’s not beneficial to block a large concentration?
> [@Lemur866](#):
>
> What happens is that some guy somewhere in the world starts a gmail account. He posts ISIS related material until the account gets shut down. Then he starts another account.
That individual likely learned about ISIS from content we could have blocked.
> [@Lemur866](#):
>
> Or are you talking about cutting off internet access to everyone in Syria and Iraq? Like, it’s all done from one building, we drop a bomb on the building, and suddenly ISIS has no more internet?
Kinda, yes. At least the zones they’ve overtaken. Not much different than wiping out one of their bridges. If they don’t have the hardware anymore, they won’t have the connectivity.
> [@Ravenman](#):
>
> [Sometimes,](http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/tech/2015/06/04/air-force-isis-social-media-target/28473723/) having your enemy connected to the grid is helpful.
I suspected that was one of the reasons.
I am happy to read that accounts are being actively deleted. I was afraid that wasn’t happening, freedom of speech and all… So at least some of it is taken care of.
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### Author:  [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2015, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/16 "2015-07-08T03:48:59Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#):
>
> . It’s hardly a hotbed of commerce and activity that the rest of the world depends on these days.
Actually, that was a harsh statement, and I didn’t mean it that way. What I was thinking about are the ISIS captured and controlled areas, minus the refugees that fled, not the entire countries & their economies or people.
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### Author:  [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2015, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/17 "2015-07-08T04:42:34Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#):
>
> I was afraid that wasn’t happening, freedom of speech and all… So at least some of it is taken care of.
Freedom of speech only protects what you say from the government. Business certainly have no requirement to allow D-bags to spew.
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### Author:  [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2015, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/18 "2015-07-08T04:47:22Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#):
>
> Blocking or cutting one area of the world will not cripple the whole internet. It’s hardly a hotbed of commerce and activity that the rest of the world depends on these days. And it wasn’t long ago we were all without the internet. Life would go on.
The Internet was literally designed to handle massive network failures and still route traffic around if a single connection still exists. It can handle traffic via [carrier pigeon](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1149) in a pinch. Have you heard of the Great Firewall of China? Billions of dollars spent by the Chinese government, and ordinary citizens still regularly circumvent it with a little effort. You are effectively asking, “Hey, can we take this chainsaw and use it to connect things together?”
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### Author:  [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2015, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/19 "2015-07-08T04:53:50Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#):
>
> What is it with these ISIS morons that they don’t see the writing on the wall? Eventually, each one of their numbers will come up.
I believe they see it as a perk.
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### Author:  [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2015, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-isis-have-access-to-fb-twit-or-anything-on-the-internet/724467/20 "2015-07-08T05:07:20Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#):
>
> What is it with these ISIS morons that they don’t see the writing on the wall? Eventually, each one of their numbers will come up.
Have you considered that that might be the point?
“The Islamic State… is a religious group with carefully considered beliefs, among them that it is a key agent of the coming apocalypse.”
From [What ISIS Really Wants](http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2015/02/what-isis-really-wants/384980/)
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