Europol warns of terrorism in metaverse

 

Emerging technologies like the metaverse, conversational AI, and deepfakes could be used by terrorists for radicalization and recruitment, warns Europol in its latest report.   Europol's TE-SAT Report 2023 highlights the potential use of the metaverse and decentralized platforms for terrorist activities, such as propaganda dissemination and coordination. The report also identifies the challenges posed by P2P apps used for propaganda, which are harder to moderate and investigate. Terrorists could employ deepfakes, AR, conversational AI, and IoT tools to enhance propaganda efficiency and carry out remote operations. Current tools exploited by extremist groups include end-to-end encrypted messaging and gaming-related platforms for recruitment and propaganda. These groups utilize digital currencies for financing while maintaining anonymity.  In October 2022, Europol issued a report entitled "Policing in the metaverse: what law enforcement needs to know."