For 20 years, ISD has delivered field-leading threat detection, analysis and real-world strategies to combat terrorism, extremism and authoritarianism - in all their ideological forms.

Islamist Extremism

Islamist Extremism presents a politicised supremacist vision of Islam that is antithetical to democracy and human rights. Since the Islamic State (IS) and Al Qaeda’s high water mark a decade ago, Islamist Extremist movements are in a state of flux, spreading across a broad range of violent and political groups globally. We track and respond to these evolving threats using a range of tools and approaches, as well as trying to reach an increasingly young cohort of digital supporters.”

September 28, 2026

Islamic State’s decentralized digital ecosystem

ISD's Moustafa Ayad spoke to CNN about the digital ecosystem IS exists in today.

Islamist Extremism

September 17, 2026

25 years after 9/11, al-Qaeda remains perennially online: The group’s digital ecosystem in 2026

Islamist Extremism, Tech Accountability and Safety, Threat Analysis and Prevention

September 8, 2026

Generation ‘Slop Jihad:’ The decentralized ‘media jihad’ gets sloppy

Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism

August 21, 2026

Recent arrest shows Islamic State’s continued relevance

Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism

August 2, 2026

Anti-LGBTQ+ hate in extremist movements

Anti-LGBTQ+, Islamist Extremism, Targeted Threats, Hate and Abuse

July 29, 2026

Five lessons from the Islamist extremist attack on Berlin Pride

Anti-LGBTQ+, Islamist Extremism

July 27, 2026

Where Islamist and far-right targeting of queer people meet

Anti-LGBTQ+, Far-Right Extremism, Islamist Extremism, Targeted Threats, Hate and Abuse, Terrorism and Extremism

July 13, 2026

Extremists are using AI to build propaganda — and plan attacks

Emerging Technologies, Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism

March 11, 2026

Islamic State group activity in the US in 2025

Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism, Threat Analysis and Prevention

Further Reading

June 13, 2023

CaliphateTok: TikTok continues to host Islamic State propaganda

New research by ISD reveals how the Islamic State has been using TikTok to amplify propaganda undetected and without restriction constraints.

Islamist Extremism, Tech Accountability and Safety, Terrorism and Extremism

December 28, 2022

Salafi-jihadist groups adapt to social media security measures in order to keep up online propaganda

ISD's Simeon Dukić discusses Salafi-jihadist groups adapting online tactics to target Albanian speakers with Balkan Insight.

Islamist Extremism

October 4, 2022

Facebook’s autogenerate feature is creating business pages for extremists

ISD's Moustafa Ayad spoke to Yahoo News about how FB's autogenerate feature benefits Islamist extremists.

Islamist Extremism, Tech Accountability and Safety, Terrorism and Extremism

September 7, 2022

The Terror Times: The Depth and Breadth of the Islamic State Alternative News Outlet Ecosystem Online

This study investigates how Islamic State (IS) supporters have built networks of 'alternative news outlets' with tens of thousands of followers.

Gaming and Alternative Platforms, Islamist Extremism

August 22, 2022

Fatwa against novelist Salman Rushdie unites Islamist extremists around the world

A religious order issued by an Islamic leader over 33 years ago in Iran is unifying extremists globally following the attack on Salman Rushdie.

Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism, Threat Analysis and Prevention

August 2, 2022

PC Mag reports on ISD’s findings about moderation gaps and terrorist content proliferation

PC Magazine features ISD's findings about how moderation gaps in non-English language allow for the proliferation of violent and terrorist content.

Islamist Extremism, Tech Accountability and Safety

July 31, 2022

AI falling short in moderating extremist content on Facebook

ISD's Moustafa Ayad spoke to the Washington Post about the problem of extremist and terrorist content on Facebook in Kenya.

Islamist Extremism, Tech Accountability and Safety

July 31, 2022

Facebook’s structural struggle in flagging terrorist content in Kenya, African countries

Moustafa Ayad spoke with the WaPo about ISD's two-year investigation into the online media ecosystem of al-Shabaab and the Islamic State in Africa.

Islamist Extremism, Tech Accountability and Safety, Terrorism and Extremism

June 14, 2022

Under-Moderated, Unhinged and Ubiquitous: Al-Shabaab and the Islamic State Networks on Facebook 

This report outlines networks of Somali, Kiswahili and Arabic pages and profiles on Facebook which are supportive of al-Shabaab and the Islamic State.

Islamist Extremism, Tech Accountability and Safety

February 15, 2022

Nuanced text analysis at scale: Toxicity detection and digital Salafism

ISD outlines its approach to applying toxicity analysis to Salafi online content and the development of automated toxicity detection tools.

Islamist Extremism, Tech Accountability and Safety

Previous 1…34567…9 Next