Qatar funnels money into social media to spread violence

CAIRO – 3 July 2017: Qatari agents are reportedly shelling out thousands of dollars to spread violence and extremist views via social media platforms; the use of advertizing on extremist-linked videos and posting as an agent in funding terrorism is being called into question.

Qatari-based, hard-line preacher Wagdi Ghoniem, the Guardian claims, garnered at least profits worth $78,000 USD from Google adverts placed on his 207,000 subscribers’ YouTube channel with anti-western propaganda videos. Doha is widely embattled to be exploiting Ghoniem’s channel to gain profits.

Ghoniem has been barred from entering the UK since 2009 over terrorism support allegations, said the Guardian. In support against hate speech and terrorism, the UK has recently removed its adverts from YouTube and Google.

In June, search engine Google was fined €2.42 billion ($5 billion) by the European Commission for breaking EU antitrust laws. In a press statement by Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, she explained that Google abused their dominance as a search engine by promoting its own comparison shopping service in search results, giving less opportunity for competitors.

The subsequent removal of adverts placed against videos, such as those of Ghoniem, and ruling against Google’s favorable comparison shopping service actions, are believed to be a blow to the Qatari regime and its agents.

Over the past few months, ISIS has been proven to make use of social media platforms and Google adverts to broadcast its monetized videos and postings, funneling the revenues received to their defendants and sympathizers.