A study by ELIAMEP (the Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy) found that Islamist groups are approaching young people through gaming, helping them make money from these games, and taking a cut to finance their activities.
According to Kathimerini, an 18-year-old from Athens received a message from an unknown individual in Southeast Asia for this purpose. Before contacting him directly, the sender had messaged his entire group of friends, promoting the activities of Islamist organizations fighting governments in Africa.
To identify such cases, researchers spent around 150 hours in five internet cafés across Athens, closely observing young people playing on online gaming platforms. They also conducted 30 in-depth interviews and worked with IT companies and law enforcement agencies across Europe.
ELIAMEP (the Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy) points out that this activity accounts for only 1%–2% of the gaming world and does not represent the majority of the community.
Specifically, they first approach young users through chat features in games and on platforms such as Discord and Roblox, initially presenting their extremist ideas “humorously,” often through racist or misogynistic messages. If the users respond positively, they are invited to apps such as Telegram in an effort to recruit them.
ELIAMEP (the Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy) stresses that this activity represents only 1%–2% of the gaming ecosystem and not the vast majority of the gaming community.
Πηγή: Καθημερινή
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