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A Lebanese Army soldier stands guard inside a cafe where a suicide bomb attack took place in Jabal Mohsen, Tripoli January 11, 2015. At least seven people were killed after a cafe was attacked by a suicide bomber in the Lebanese city of Tripoli on Saturday.The al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front claimed responsibility for the attack on a Twitter account describing it as revenge for the Sunnis in Syria and Lebanon. Reuters/Hasan Shaaban

Twitter is not just a microblogging site for people to share their views and thoughts within their own social community or the whole world, but is also increasingly becoming the most effective medium for extremist groups to spread their ideologies among the youngsters. Twitter thus qualifies to become one of the most efficient informer of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation in tracking and outwitting terrorists in their own game.

This well-connected and highly influential social medium has been acting in both ways: in spreading extremist ideologies as well as in tracking the ones who are spreading them. FBI director James Comey said that social network isn’t only an extraordinary medium for selling shoes or vacation but also for pushing terrorism.

FBI agents have referred to the suspects’ tweets in a range of terrorist activities and charged a large number of Twitter users for allegedly supporting the Islamic State and for lying to the federal agency about their activities on the social networking site. FBI also considers a number of other Twitter activities including re-tweets as probable reasons for charges of terrorism.

One of the cases the FBI involved Ali Shukri Amin, a 17-year-old Twitter user who pleaded guilty to providing material support to ISIS. He operated the Twitter account @AmreekiWitness, which boasted over 4,000 followers and was called a "pro-ISIL platform the course of over 7,000 'tweets.'" The FBI learnt Amin used Twitter to inform his followers about using bitcoin to financially support the Islamic State.

Comey ensured that the Americans still enjoy protection against the government from going after them and keeping track of their Twitter activities for a simple post or speech. It would require proofs beyond reasonable doubts to prove that an individual is associated with terrorism either directly or indirectly.

"Knowing it was wrong, you provided material support for a terrorist organisation or some other offence," Comey said, explaining how the FBI sees these suspects in response to questions by Huffington Post last month. "That is the bulwark against prosecuting someone for having an idea or having an interest. You have to manifest a criminal intent to further the aims prohibited by the statute."

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