Portugal’s Judicial Police (PJ) identified 54 URLs containing extremist or terrorist material during an international operation coordinated by Europol. The wider effort flagged more than 9,000 links across 47 social media and online gaming platforms, with authorities from 16 countries taking part.
The operation focused on the use of digital spaces to spread extremist propaganda and encourage recruitment, including among children and young people. In Portugal, the investigation was led by the PJ’s National Counterterrorism Unit. The URLs it identified were uploaded to the PERCI platform and reported to online service providers.
The material included content associated with the True Crime Community, such as in-game simulations of attacks on schools and a mosque, and praise for perpetrators of attacks. Investigators also identified downloadable maps for the virtual reality game Bonelab designed to recreate terrorist attack scenarios, militant Islamist-themed avatars on Roblox, and a Discord invitation encouraging TikTok users to join a dedicated community.
The PJ said some communities use games to reproduce the structures, narratives and symbols of terrorist organisations, including by role-playing as group members or reenacting violent events. Authorities are concerned that such activity could develop into coordinated propaganda production and distribution, as well as recruitment of new members and supporters. The PJ warned that embedding extremist ideologies in interactive gaming experiences could contribute to radicalisation, particularly among young people and minors.
Sources: Pplware.