%0 Journal Article
%A Torres-Soriano, Manuel Ricardo
%T Jihadist terrorists as early adopters: a critical examination of terrorist adoption of emerging internet technologies
%D 2026
%U https://hdl.handle.net/10433/26462
%X The idea that jihadist groups are ‘early adopters’ of emerginginternet technologies has shaped counterterrorism policies andpublic discourse. However, this assumption often relies onanecdotal evidence rather than systematic analysis. This studycritically examines whether jihadist actors genuinely adopt digitalplatforms earlier than the general population or whether theirbehaviour aligns with broader technological trends. Using adataset of all individuals arrested in Spain for jihadist-relatedonline activities between 2001 and 2024, this research assessesthe adoption timelines of various internet platforms. The findingsindicate that contrary to popular belief, jihadist actors generallyadopt mainstream technologies once they are already widelyused by the public. While some encrypted messaging services,such as Telegram, were embraced relatively early due to theiroperational security advantages, most platforms like Facebook,YouTube, and Twitter, were used by these individuals only at thesame time asmass adoption. These results highlight a key tensionin jihadist digital strategy: the need to balance security withaudience reach. Understanding these patterns can refinecounterterrorism efforts by focusing on how extremists adapt todigital environments rather than assuming a uniform pattern ofearly adoption.
%K Jihadist terrorism
%K Internet technologies
%K Digital radicalisation
%K Counterterrorism
%K Technological adoption
%~