On 27 May, Europol coordinated a Referral Action Day (RAD) on minors’ exploitation and radicalisation online. More than 2 000 links pointing to jihadist and right-wing violent extremist and terrorist propaganda targeting minors were referred during the action day.

The referral day took place only a few weeks after Europol launched a new Operational Taskforce to tackle the rising trend of recruiting young perpetrators into serious and organised crime. Recent data provided to Europol reveals that minors are now involved in over 70% of criminal markets. Protecting children from being recruited and exploited by criminal networks is one of Europol’s key priorities.

Catherine De Bolle, the Europol’s Executive Director said that: Terrorist groups are increasingly targeting young people, exploiting their vulnerabilities but also their abilities to manage online capabilities to advance violent and extremist agendas. Strong collaboration between public authorities and private sector partners is essential to prevent the radicalisation of minors into harming themselves and our society.

New wave of propaganda using broader manipulation tactics

Terrorist organisations and their online supporters have developed new tactics to recruit and gain followers, tailoring their message and investing in new technologies and platforms to manipulate and reach out to minors. The propaganda identified during the operational action included content combining images and videos of children with extremist messaging, as well as materials offering guidance to radicalised parents on raising future jihadists.

One of the key observations that led to this coordinated action is the use of AI, particularly in the creation of images, text and videos designed to resonate with younger audiences. Propagandists invest in content, short videos, memes, and other visual formats, carefully stylised to appeal to minors and families that may be susceptible to extremist manipulation, as well as content incorporating gaming elements with terrorist audio and visual material. 

Another type of targeted content is the glorification of minors involved in terrorist attacks. In this regard, terrorist propaganda predominantly targets male minors, manipulating them into joining extremist groups by promoting heroic narratives that portray them as “warriors” and the “hope” of society. Female minors are referenced less frequently, with their roles largely confined to raising and indoctrinating future “fighters” for the cause. 

Another manipulation technique that has been worrying for the past years is the increased use of victimhood narratives, particularly imagery of wounded or killed children in conflict zones. This manipulation serves a dual purpose: it fosters emotional identification with the victims while simultaneously inciting a desire for retaliation and further violence.

In 2024, EU Member States law enforcement authorities contributed to a large number of terrorism related cases involving minors. Europol’s European Counter Terrorism Centre keeps on supporting Member States in preventing and investigating dissemination of terrorist content online to ensure a safer cyberspace for European citizens.