Europol coordinates operation against online terrorist content targeting minors
On 27 May, the EU’s law enforcement agency Europol coordinated a Referral Action Day (RAD) on the online exploitation and radicalisation of minors. Sixteen European countries took part, including Ukraine. More than 2,000 links pointing to jihadist and right-wing violent extremist and terrorist propaganda targeting minors were referred during the action day.
The action took place a few weeks after Europol launched a new Operational Taskforce to tackle the rising trend of recruiting young perpetrators into serious and organised crime. Recent data provided to Europol reveals that minors are now involved in over 70% of criminal markets. Protecting children from being recruited and exploited by criminal networks is one of Europol’s key priorities.
Europol Executive Director Catherine de Bolle, said: “Terrorist groups are increasingly targeting young people, exploiting their vulnerabilities but also their abilities to manage online capabilities to advance violent and extremist agendas. Strong collaboration between public authorities and private sector partners is essential to prevent the radicalisation of minors into harming themselves and our society.”
Terrorist organisations and their online supporters have developed new tactics to recruit and gain followers, Europol said. These include tailoring their message, and investing in new technologies and platforms to manipulate and reach out to minors. The propaganda identified during the operational action included content which combined images and videos of children with extremist messaging, as well as materials offering guidance to radicalised parents on raising future jihadists.
One of the key observations that led to this coordinated action is the use of AI. Propagandists invest in content, short videos, memes, and other visual formats, carefully stylised to appeal to minors and families that may be susceptible to extremist manipulation, as well as content incorporating gaming elements with terrorist audio and visual material.
Another type of targeted content is the glorification of minors involved in terrorist attacks. In this regard, terrorist propaganda predominantly targets male minors, promoting heroic narratives that portray them as ‘warriors’ and the ‘hope’ of society. Female minors are referenced less frequently, with their roles largely confined to raising and indoctrinating future ‘fighters’ for the cause.
Another manipulation technique that has been worrying for the past years is the increased use of victimhood narratives. Imagery of wounded or killed children in conflict zones is often used. This fosters emotional identification with the victims while simultaneously inciting a desire for retaliation and further violence.
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