CITCO coordinates Spain's participation in an unprecedented Europol operation against terrorist propaganda on video game platforms
Centro de Inteligencia contra el Terrorismo y el Crimen Organizado (CITCO) of the Ministry of the Interior coordinated the participation of the Policía Nacional, the Guardia Civil, the Mossos d'Esquadra, and the Ertzaintza, which contributed 75 percent of the 5,400 links to jihadist content, 1,070 links to far-right terrorist content, and 105 links to racist or xenophobic material that were identified and located.
CITCO coordinated the participation of these Spanish law enforcement agencies in an unprecedented operation by Europol (Referral Action Day), which succeeded in identifying and reporting thousands of links containing terrorist and extremist propaganda on video game platforms and other services associated with the gaming ecosystem. The action also involved security forces from Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.
Over several weeks, the participating countries located thousands of links containing terrorist and extremist propaganda. These included around 5,400 links to jihadist content, 1,070 links to far-right terrorist content, and 105 links to racist or xenophobic material. The Spanish Security Forces coordinated by CITCO provided more than 75 percent of all these links.
The Referral Action Day, held on November 13, enabled these illegal contents to be referred to the platforms for review and removal within the framework of voluntary cooperation. The cooperation of online service providers has been key to curbing the spread of illegal content such as incitement to hatred, violence, and terrorism, thereby contributing to a safer digital environment.
Increase in minors and young people involved
Since 2024, European police investigators have detected a sustained increase in minors and young people involved in terrorist activities and expressions of extremist violence within the European Union. In this context, online video game platforms have become spaces where elements that facilitate the first steps toward radicalization converge. Most of the content circulates in English, which amplifies the international reach of this phenomenon.
First-person shooter games predominate, incorporating elements associated with terrorist groups or even recreating well-known attacks. Much of this content is integrated into online gaming communities and streaming platforms that allow players to broadcast their matches in real time and interact with their community via live chat.
This interaction is being used to recruit young people into various violent extremist and terrorist groups. In fact, on several occasions, these platforms have been used to livestream real attacks.
On social media, videos — sometimes short clips — featuring recorded gameplay are shared, with elements typical of these narratives added to them — expressions, symbols, emojis, or music — which facilitate their dissemination and make the content more appealing to younger audiences.
Their presence on widely used social networks not only facilitates the recruitment of new users but also contributes to the normalization of violence and the trivialization of terrorism, producing a gradual desensitization effect on audiences. Furthermore, during the editing process, efforts are made to evade platform moderation mechanisms, ensuring the continued availability of this content.
Last June, the National Unit for the Removal of Illegal Online Content (UNECI) of the Centro de Inteligencia contra el Terrorismo y el Crimen Organizado (CITCO) published its first transparency report, reflecting the identification and notification of thousands of illegal links, cooperation with platforms, and the strategic priority placed on preventing radicalization in digital environments.
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