UK spy chiefs warn social media galvanising terrorists

Social media networks are being used by people with extreme views to galvanise into plotting terrorist attacks, Britain’s internal security agency MI5’s behavioural science unit has warned.

The intelligence unit, which is in the process of expanding, includes psychologists, anthropologists and psychiatrists who analyse the online behaviour of extremists to identify the mental health conditions that could lead to an attack.

It has found that extremists find a form of legitimacy by social media networks such as Twitter and YouTube, often hiding behind anonymity.