International cooperation, particularly among internet-based firms, is key to ridding online social media of terrorists and their nefarious information, experts said at the third World Internet Conference on Thursday.

Social media has become a "new haven and tool" for terrorist organizations to spread harmful information as well as recruit, train and organize attacks, said Wang Yong, a professor at the People's Public Security University of China.

Agreed Li Wei, director of the Institute for Security and Arms Control Studies under the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations. Terrorists are no longer mad men hiding in caves - they know how to take advantage of social media, he said.