Europol warns of online cult communities and ‘unprecedented levels’ of AI-generated propaganda

Europol’s annual report on the major terrorism developments and trends in Europe warns of the increasing use of emerging technologies and the growth of online communities inciting violence. The technologies most favored by terrorists and violent extremists in Europe in 2024 include the production of AI-generated material, use of immersive environments and advanced digital financing tools. 

Statistically, the report shows that a total of 58 terrorist attacks were reported by 14 European Union (EU) Member States in 2024. Of these, 34 were completed, five failed and 19 were foiled. Overall, 449 individuals were arrested for terrorism-related offenses across 20 Member States.

Catherine De Bolle, Executive Director of Europol said the tense geopolitical situation has continued to amplify violent extremist narratives, driving radicalization, particularly online. There has also been a worrying rise throughout the EU in the number of young people and individuals with mental health issues being targeted for recruitment or action by terrorist groups. Of the 449 suspects arrested in 2024, 133 were aged between 12 and 20 years old, accounting for more than 29 percent of the total of suspects arrested for terrorism-related offenses. According to Europol’s data, the vast majority of these young suspects were linked to jihadist terrorism (114), followed by far right terrorism and violent extremism.

“Terrorist organizations continued to target young people, spreading propaganda especially on those social media platforms that are particularly popular among younger users, and adapting content and communication strategies to these platforms and their audiences,” the report states, adding that “algorithms-driven content played a key role in the reinforcement of radical ideas.”

Immersive environments such as gaming platforms and metaverse also continued to be used for grooming and recruitment of young perpetrators, and Europol warns of a growing threat posed by the rise of a variety of online cult communities. “These digital cult communities, known as ‘764’ or ‘Com’ networks, are composed of interconnected groups of individuals who compete to share the most violent content, either perpetrated by themselves or by their recruits. The members of these groups specifically target vulnerable minors (from 8 to 17 years old), identified and groomed on mainstream online platforms and induced, through psychological coercion, into performing acts of self-harm, violence against their circle (i.e., family and friends) and/or even against unknown victims. Such violent acts are later shared within the online community by the same victims who are subjected to threats, blackmailing and other extortion tactics.” Europol has found that many of these violent online groups have been found to have ideological connections with jihadist terrorism and violent far right extremism, promoting ideologies that inspire mass shootings, bombings and other acts of terrorism.

End-to-end encrypted communication platforms continued to provide secure channels for communication, coordination, recruitment, dissemination of propaganda and incitement to mobilization and violence. Cryptocurrencies, as well as non-fungible digital assets, served as critical tools for anonymous financing, enabling terrorist actors to transfer funds globally while evading traditional financial oversight. Social media also remained central to terrorist strategies, offering a far-reaching platform and large audiences. Such platforms were also used throughout 2024 for sharing instruction manuals and guidelines for explosives and 3D-printed firearms.

Of particular concern is the use of generative-AI to create and disseminate propaganda and hate speech, which Europol said has reached “unprecedented levels”, especially in the far right scene. “Radical individuals are able to generate propaganda items at a fast pace, allowing them to evade content moderation (e.g. via jailbreaking12),” the report notes. “AI tools, including large language models (LLMs) and deepfake technology enable the creation of persuasive and deceptive content, shared at times in multiple languages and platforms in order to maximize reach.”

Europol said that the integration of these advanced technologies presents a complex and evolving threat landscape, and one that is challenging conventional counterterrorism and law enforcement measures.