By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN experts on Monday warned that these gaming digital playgrounds devices need next-generation protection against extremist exploitation as millions unwrap new gaming devices this holiday season.
They noted that an industry that has outgrown Hollywood in sheer monetary value reached $196 billion in 2023 hese digital platforms are becoming recruitment grounds for extremists, prompting an unprecedented collaboration between counter terrorism specialists and gaming companies.
Sarah Daly Deputy Director of the UN Counter Terrorism Centre (part of the counter-terrorism office, UNOCT) and Leif Villadsen, Acting Director of the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) discussed the issue.
They hosted a landmark event on the issue called New Quest Unlocked held earlier in December, which brought together gaming companies, policymakers and researchers to address violent extremisms in gaming spaces.
“The alarming trend has necessitated a collaborative research approach with the gaming industry and adjacent platforms,” Mr. Siqueira said,.
She highlighted how extremist groups are increasingly targeting gaming spaces and adjacent platforms like Discord and Telegram.
Steven Siqueira said that the year 2023, the gaming industry and adjacent platforms was a $196 billion industry. By comparison the movie industry was about 40 billion, so it’s five times the size of the movie industry.
Young people are being reached by terrorists and violent extremist groups through these platforms, with propaganda videos increasingly appearing across Discord, Telegram and Tiktok.
This alarming trend necessitated collaborative research and working together with the gaming industry, adjacent platforms and of course, our members and member governments.
He said that gaming has many positive aspects in terms of social interaction around the world but there’s also increasing risk that terrorists and violent extremist groups are using these platforms and the gaming adjacent platforms to get their message out.
Siqueira noted that the findings are stark: in Australia alone, approximately 1 in 5 counter-terrorism cases now involve young people, with gaming platforms playing a role in every investigated case.
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