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In-depth reporting on the world of social media.

Trending: Iraqi Insurgents’ Twitter App

21/06/2014

Iraqi Insurgents’ Twitter App

BBC World Service - Trending, Iraqi Insurgents’ Twitter App

How Iraqi insurgents use social media to amplify their message and gain global support

The Iraqi Insurgents’ Twitter App; the #LegGun meme from Chinese artist Ai Weiwei; and more #WorldCup trends from across the world

This week the Trending team finds out how ISIS, the Iraqi insurgents who recently took over vast territories in Iraq, have been using hashtags, apps and more social media tricks to amplify their message and gain global support. Despite internet blocks by the government we connect with an Iraqi blogger in Baghdad, and we speak to an American expert in the use of social media by militant groups. 

And in China dissident artist Ai Weiwei has kick started a picture trend on Instagram that’s seen hundreds of people holding their legs up like guns. But there’s more to this than just playful images. We find out what the #LegGun trend is really about.
Presenter Mukul Devichand is joined in the Trending studio by BBC Monitoring’s Amira Fathallah and from Singapore by Heather Chen from BBC News Asia.

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