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The Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) and the SMIDGE project are proud to announce the launch of an innovative digital platform dedicated to identifying and analysing online videos that promote extremist narratives. This cutting-edge platform is designed to enhance the understanding of online radicalisation processes and support researchers and policy-making efforts to counteract extremism.
The newly developed platform features a comprehensive database that documents the main characteristics of videos known to foster extremist content across major social media channels, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter/X. The database includes details such as the video's title, link, a brief description, the nature of the extremist narrative (e.g., Anti-Vax, religious, far-right), the target audience and keywords used.
This initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to sustain project data and improve digital safety. The platform will be constantly updated with data, providing researchers and policy-makers, a one-stop shop for examining different extremist narratives, the type of social media mostly used to promote such narratives, and targeted audience. A dedicated team of researchers from KCSS is actively involved in populating and updating the database.
Key features of the platform include:
Internal Data-Storage: Securely stores detailed data entries by the research team.
Interactive Dashboard: Allows researchers and other interested parties to input and access data efficiently.
Open Data Portal: Provides global access to researchers and interested parties, promoting transparency and facilitating further research into online radicalisation.
"Our aim is to provide a vital tool for researchers and policymakers to better understand and combat the influences of online media on radicalization," said Ramadan Ilazi, head of research at KCSS and part of the SMIDGE project team. "We believe this platform will be crucial in developing informed strategies to counteract extremist narratives effectively."
SMIDGE Scientific Project Lead Sara Wilford stated: “The database is a unique resource for researchers and policy-makers, providing a vital tool in the fight against extremism online.”
"As a researcher committed to unraveling the complexities of online extremism, this platform empowers us to track and analyze extremist content online," said Tamara Pavlović, a researcher at KCSS who worked on populating the platform with data, adding that “the most challenging aspects were verifying the age of the users, their location, and the source of the videos, as well as the emotional strain of reviewing fear and anger-inducing content.”
Donika Elshani, who previously worked on the development of the platform added: "By systematically cataloging these videos and their characteristics, we're not only expanding our database but also enhancing our collective capability to develop targeted interventions against radical narratives."
Ramadan Ilazi, head of research at KCSS and part of the SMIDGE project team, explained that the database does not render a definitive qualification of these videos as extremist; rather, it identifies videos that, in our view, potentially contain extremist narratives, and by no means it is an exhaustive list.
The platform is now accessible and will serve as a key resource for stakeholders engaged in the fight against online extremism. For more information, visit https://qkss.smidgeproject.eu/
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