Social media used for recruiting terrorists: U.N.

Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc., the world’s biggest online social networks, are increasingly being used by terrorists to recruit sympathizers and spread their propaganda, a United Nations report revealed on Monday.

Internet based social media platforms are being used for terrorist purposes by tech-savvy extremists, the international organization claimed.

Google Inc., and YouTube were also identified as facilitators of communication between terrorist actors.

The report, researched by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, was released during a meeting of counter-terrorism officials in Vienna.

The U.N. is calling on countries to ratify legislation to prevent so-called cyber terrorism and boost cross-border collaboration between law-enforcement agencies.

Terrorists can develop ties regardless of borders, Germany’s top anti-terror official, Hans-Georg Maassen, was quoted as saying by Bloomberg news.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that the Pentagon and American intelligence agencies are seeing an increase in cyber threats. These could become as devastating as the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks if they aren’t stopped, he claims.