With the collapse of the so-called caliphate and the morphing of the proto-state back into an insurgency, the virtual presence of Islamic State is now one the ways for the group to maintain a link with its international audience and supporters. Nevertheless, after a peak in the years 2014-2015, IS’ media production has also sharply declined, reflecting military setbacks that have included the targeting of high-profile media figures within the organisation. The group has also faced online pushback due to increased monitoring of jihadist content by social media and web companies.

Notwithstanding these setbacks, IS has shown itself able to maintain an enduring online presence, with its propaganda still reaching sizeable audiences. In addition to its attempts to circumvent the removal of posts, accounts, groups or pages on social media, IS has diversified its outlets exploiting alternative platforms as safe havens for its material. In order to assess the efficacy of IS’ sustained effort to spread its content, this perspective presents a brief quantification of the longevity and dissemination of IS propaganda. What types of platforms are being exploited besides social media? How long does the tracked content linger before deletion? Is this content disseminated on a concentrated number of platforms or is it widely shared? To answer these questions, two typical pieces of IS-produced media material were tracked in the days following their release. The results are presented below, but in order to provide some necessary context, these are preceded by a brief review of how IS has exploited the digital space since 2013.