14 DAY TRIAL // In an interview for The Huffington Post, FBI director James Comey has made it pretty clear that any ISIS-friendly action on Twitter will get US residents onto their watchlist, or even worse.
Talking about the fine line between free speech and actual intentions, Mr. Comey has said, "You have to manifest a criminal intent to further the aims prohibited by the statute."
This doesn't mean that one random tweet, a news story, or an academic performing research and then sharing it on Twitter will put anyone on a no-fly list, but having a clear intention to aid the terrorist group will get them in serious trouble.
Many Twitter users have been brought to justice for their pro-ISIS activities
And by serious trouble he means a legal inquiry like the ones facing Keonna Thomas, Arafat Nagi, Bilal Abood, or Ali Shukri Amin.
Mrs. Thomas is now charged with attempting to provide material support for ISIS after constantly re-posting ISIS tweets to her followers.
Mr. Nagi is currently arrested after lying to FBI agents. A search of his Twitter account showed he was following and was followed by official ISIS members.
Mr. Abood actually went on to pledge obedience via Twitter to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State. He was also arrested by the FBI after lying about the incident.
Mr. Amin pled guilty only this June for operating a Twitter account that supported ISIS activities and even encouraged followers to donate to the group via Bitcoin.
ISIS is a stain on Twitter's reputation
All of these are scenarios that show the FBI's interest in the social network, which has recently become a watering hole for all kinds of terrorist groups, not just ISIS.
The company is also on a quest to clear its name, being currently on a crusade against terrorism-themed accounts, a fact also noted by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a US-based NGO advocating against antisemitism.
While the FBI, through their director's statements, is kind of warning terrorists of their Twitter monitoring activities, they may also be trying to drive the terrorist group off the social network.
ISIS has had quite a success recruiting through Twitter, and Mr. Comey may only be trying to scare the group off Twitter in an attempt to hinder their regular recruitment tactics.