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The data show a dramatic increase in terror-related investigations involving minors.
Popular gaming platforms long seen as safe digital playgrounds are facing new scrutiny, but we might have to revise that view, as counterterrorism specialists say extremist groups are increasingly using these spaces to reach children.
A new analysis from the Tactics Institute for Security and Counter Terrorism notes that data from the United Nations’ Counter Investigators across Europe and North America report a sharp rise in minors linked to terror-related cases, raising concerns about how radical ideologies are spreading online.
The United Nations’ Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate has found that minors now account for 42 percent of terror investigations in Europe and North America, triple the level recorded in 2021.
In Europe alone, the share ranges between 20 and 30 percent.
According to the analysis, unpublished figures from the International Center for Counter-Terrorism in The Hague indicate some suspects are as young as 12 or 13.
Thomas Renard, the center’s director, described the surge as “shocking,” saying it is unlike anything previously documented.
And the biggest proplem is, that extremist recruiters are adapting faster than authorities, exploiting digital platforms in ways governments struggle to counter.
Virtual worlds exploited
The researchers from the Tactics Instityte say gaming platforms such as Minecraft and Roblox have been used to circulate propaganda and recreate real-world atrocities, including the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks.
Customized digital environments have allegedly glorified violence and spread hate speech.
Jean Slater, who studies extremist movements, warns that children often assume these platforms are fully moderated. That perception of safety can make them vulnerable to adults posing as peers and gradually introducing radical ideas.
Roblox and Microsoft, which owns Minecraft, say extremist material is banned. The companies cite artificial intelligence tools, human moderators, chat filters and parental controls as safeguards. Specialists counter that private servers and encrypted channels remain difficult to police.
Cases raise alarm
The analysis from the Tactics Institute notes that several criminal cases illustrate how online radicalization can move offline.
In the United Kingdom, a 15-year-old girl influenced by a neo-Nazi contact in Texas was arrested after downloading bomb-making manuals and expressing plans to attack a synagogue. She later took her own life.
In Estonia, authorities in 2020 identified a 13-year-old boy as the leader of an international neo-Nazi group coordinating via Telegram. Analysts say such cases show how quickly minors can gain influence within extremist networks without parental awareness.
While not all radicalized youths turn violent, the instute suggests the upward trend exposes vulnerabilities in online oversight.
Beyond the game
Gaming is often just the first contact point. Researchers describe “funnel strategies” that shift young users from mainstream platforms like TikTok and X to private forums on Discord or Telegram, where indoctrination deepens.
Law enforcement in the United States and Canada has warned about transnational “com networks” that pressure minors into self-harm, sexual exploitation and violence, using recorded material for blackmail.
The Tactics Institute notes that the former neo-Nazi Arno Michaelis says recruitment now extends into spaces parents view as harmless. Families report devastating consequences, with some teenagers cutting ties after forming intense ideological bonds online.
Sources: The Tactics Institute for Security & Counter Terrorism; United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate; International Center for Counter-Terrorism; law enforcement statements.
