ISIS propaganda app that praised deadly Kabul bombing against US troops relies on Amazon Web Services
Amazon refused to host the conservative social media platform Parler earlier this year
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One of the Islamic State group's propaganda arms, which celebrated a Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 American service members, uses a website and app hosted by Amazon Web Services.
Nida-e-Haqq, an ISIS media group that disseminates terrorist propaganda in the Urdu language, promoted the bombing by posting a photo of the alleged suicide bomber donning a suicide vest before the Thursday attack, the Washington Post reported.
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Rita Katz, executive director at SITE Intelligence Group, told the Post that the source code for the app draws words and images from the pro-ISIS group and has been hosted by Amazon Web Services since April – despite the platform’s pledge to not work with terrorist groups.
"It’s just mind-blowing that even after all these years, ISIS could still find a way to exploit a hosting company like Amazon," Katz said. "Of course, we should presume that ISIS will always be searching for ways to bypass security protocols, but this app isn’t even trying to stay low-key. It is blatantly filled with official ISIS claims, media, and logos of ISIS’ media arms, clear as day. This app was clearly created to keep ISIS’ message and content alive and distributed online. … It is clear that the stakes of keeping such content offline [are] no less major than in past years."
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According to AWS policy, the platform does not allow customers to use the service for any acts that "threaten, incite, promote, or actively encourage violence, terrorism, or other serious harm."
Late Friday, Fox News received a statement from an AWS spokesperson:
"The app referenced by the Washington Post is not running on AWS. However, following an investigation, we have disabled a website that was linked to this app as it was in violation of the AWS Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). The AWS AUP prohibits the use of our services to threaten, incite, promote, or actively encourage violence, terrorism, or other serious harm. When we receive reports of potential violations of our AUP, we act quickly to investigate and take action to disable prohibited content."
Earlier this year, Amazon suspended service to the social media app Parler, partially owned by conservative radio host Dan Bongino, because the platform posted videos and messages associated with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
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Parler sued Amazon and was ultimately denied by a U.S. district judge who said that Amazon was not required to host "incendiary speech."
"The Court rejects any suggestion that the public interest favors requiring [Amazon Web Services] to host the incendiary speech that the record shows some of Parler's users have engaged in," U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein said in a ruling against Parler. "At this stage, on the showing made thus far, neither the public interest nor the balance of equities favors granting an injunction in this case."
