UCO Group Among Finalists In National Anti-Terror Project

In an age when terrorists are savvy marketers reaching millions online, a group of University of Central Oklahoma students is fighting back by creating a new online campaign.

The program was developed as a part of a state department competition among 80 schools nationwide.

“You start to realize how so much of it happens online and we're all online, especially this generation is online so much more. So you start to realize how close you are to the problem,” uDefy co-creator Yusuf Shubaji said.

Shubaji, 22, was sitting alongside two other group members; Kaitlyn Britschgi, 23, and Tommy Johnson, 26.

“It really allows them to really look into themselves and see what they might be, or what they might have prejudice about,” Johnson said.

The program is called uDefy, as in defying prejudice. Users take a short quiz to identify any bias they might hold. After they're finished, they're asked to commit to fighting their own bias and others online and then spread the word. 

“It kind of plants a seed in them to change from the inside out rather than telling them to stop being an extremist,” Shubaji said.

The program targets a specific age group, although anyone can take the quiz. They said ages 16 to 25 are the most at risk of being recruited into extremism.

“People in this age group are very vulnerable, they're still searching for themselves and a sense of security and that's what these recruiters prey on is that sense of insecurity,” Britschbi said.

uDefy had almost overnight success reaching more than a million people in 83 countries.

After beating out 76 other schools around the country, these students along with the other two members of their group are heading to Washington, D.C. to present their work to top U.S. security agencies that are looking to find a new way to combat terrorism.

The group will fly to D.C. at the end of January to present uDefy. The winner of the competition will be announced February 1, with the potential of having their program adopted by U.S. intelligence agencies.