Radical groups leveraging gaming environments for member acquisition - research finds
In the digital age, extremist groups are leveraging gaming-adjacent platforms to recruit and radicalize users, a new study published in Frontiers in Psychology reveals. These platforms, while unregulated, provide an environment where extremists can socialize, share propaganda, and subtly recruit.
To combat extremism on these platforms, a multi-faceted approach is necessary.
First, promoting inclusive community-building within gaming environments is critical. Game developers and platforms should design features and communities that facilitate meaningful, diverse interactions and discourage insular groups or hostile environments. This fostering of "bridging capital"—loose social ties among players of diverse ethnic, religious, and social backgrounds—builds resilience to extremist narratives by encouraging cross-cultural engagement and reducing echo chambers that can reinforce extremism.
Second, AI can assist in the detection and moderation of extremist content. AI-driven moderation tools can identify harmful content patterns quickly and at scale, though they must be guided carefully by ethical frameworks to avoid overreach or bias. Human oversight remains essential to contextualize AI flagging and to handle borderline cases thoughtfully.
Third, law enforcement cooperation is key to addressing more severe or coordinated extremist actions. Effective collaboration requires clear communication channels between platforms and law enforcement, as well as transparency about data sharing and user privacy protections.
Fourth, education serves as a preventative measure. Educating gamers—especially youth—about digital literacy, recognizing extremist tactics, and fostering critical thinking reduces susceptibility to radicalization. Programs that incorporate game-based learning or are embedded within gaming communities can leverage the platform’s social structures to build resilience against violent extremism.
The study, carried out by Dr William Allchorn and Dr Elisa Orofino from Anglia Ruskin University's International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute, highlights that grooming might start on these platforms, where quick rapport can be built and interactions quickly move to adjacent platforms with less monitoring. One concern is the danger of younger users coming under the influence of extremist influencers who combine streaming live game play with extremist narratives.
The research identified a widespread lack of effective detection and reporting tools for extremist content on these platforms. Many users are unaware of how to report extremist content, and even when they do, their concerns often feel unaddressed. Gaming-adjacent platforms offer direct access to large, often young and impressionable audiences, making them key tools for extremist recruitment.
Strengthening moderation systems, both AI and human, is essential to curb the spread of extremism on gaming-adjacent platforms. However, challenges remain, such as interpreting ambiguous language, sarcasm, or phrases that might be common in gameplay, such as "I'm going to kill you." Moderators express frustration with inconsistent enforcement policies on gaming-adjacent platforms.
In summary, improved moderation of gaming platforms against extremist activity requires fostering inclusive, diverse communities; harnessing AI for content detection under principled governance; collaborating closely with law enforcement for enforcement beyond moderation; and integrating education to build digital resilience. These approaches together can address the complex social and technological dynamics that extremists exploit in gaming environments.
- International research, published in Frontiers in Psychology, has exposed the use of gaming-adjacent platforms for extremist recruitment and radicalization.
- To combat this issue, universities should incorporate psychology, law, cybersecurity, and technology studies into their programs, focusing on democratization, digital literacy, and recognizing extremist tactics.
- Universities can also initiate research collaborations with international institutions to explore better ways to identify and counter this radicalization, sharing insights about politics, general news, and extremist activities in various regions.
- Meaningful involvement from law enforcement, both nationally and internationally, is crucial to address severe or coordinated extremist actions on these platforms.
- Strengthening AI and human moderation systems, combined with education, will help build digital resilience among gamers and reduce the impact of extremist narratives on gaming-adjacent platforms.
