The terrorist group ISIS has released a colorful new Android app to target children by teaching them the Arabic alphabet using deadly weapons.
The app is not available for download on the Google Play store, but ISIS first shared the app using the chat encryption platform Telegram, and it can now be accessed through links shared online.
"They wanna [sic] recruit and so how you recruit young people is via apps," said Metro State security expert Steve Beaty.
The app teaches kids the Arabic alphabet using flash cards of things like rockets and ammunition to help kids recognize the letters.
"The earlier you get somebody, the better and that's where they're heading, I think," said Beaty.
He also said the app could be used by parents to teach their kids about ISIS at a young age.
"It's not your typical ABC app," said Beaty.
A screenshot of the app's homepage shows a picture of the black ISIS flag in the background of what might otherwise look like a normal kid's app.
"They're using technology fairly effectively and then they know how to target particular groups of people," said Beaty.
For now, the app can only be found by people who know where to look but Beaty worries that may not always be the case.
"Once an application is released, it's just a matter of time then before it's widely published and many people can download it," he said.
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