Terrorist groups are recruiting, raising money and even planning operations through propaganda that is now “embedded” in every stage of their work, a new UN report warns – and governments are struggling to keep pace.
The report by CTED, the secretariat of the Security Council‘s Counter-Terrorism Committee, tracks how terrorist propaganda has moved far beyond messaging.
It has become part of the operational structure of these groups, shaping how they recruit fighters, raise funds and govern territory.
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One especially alarming trend: children and young people are increasingly being targeted, not just on social media but through gaming platforms and online communities built around shared interests.
Rapid evolution
“The speed at which terrorist groups adapt their propaganda strategies has created an “acceleration gap” between their strategies and the legislation and policies of Member States,” the report warned.
Propaganda has long been integral to terrorist strategies but “the deployment and scale have evolved significantly, and its function is now more central, integrated, and adaptive than in earlier phases,” it said.
Whereas groups such as Al Qaeda – which carried out the seismic terror attacks on the US exactly 25 years ago – relied on centralized messaging distributed mainly through physical media, the emergence of ISIL, also known as Da’esh, in the mid-2010s brought a switch to “high-volume, multilingual, digitally distributed propaganda ecosystems.”
AI, gaming and ‘gore’
The report identifies several emerging trends, including use of artificial intelligence as well as exploitation of gaming platforms and alternative online spaces such as Discord, Twitch and Stream.
“Terrorist recruitment has targeted young people through gaming, with many groups designing violent extremist-themed first-person shooter games and modifying existing games to embed violent extremist narratives within familiar entertainment formats,” it said.
Meanwhile, graphic violent content or “gore” – execution footage and images of mass casualties, for example – and nihilistic online subcultures are increasingly important for radicalisation.
Merging narratives, maximising impact
Another trend is the growing convergence of violent extremist ideologies across the digital space. In this case, content produced blends narratives, symbols, and grievances from various contexts to maximise resonance and reach numerous audiences.
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Governance activities as propaganda
Among the report’s recurring themes is the growing intersection between propaganda and other core functions of terrorist groups, with focus on Al Qaeda affiliate JNIM in the Sahel, Al-Shabaab in Somalia, ISIL-K in Central and South Asia, and TTP in Pakistan.
Analysis shows that these groups use propaganda “to reinforce governance activities, exploit local grievances, build legitimacy, facilitate fundraising and shape perceptions of authority.”
The report noted that while terrorist groups adjust tactics quickly, “policy responses and implementation have longer legislative and operational timelines.”
It stressed that effective responses must address propaganda not only as content, but as a core operational enabler of terrorism, while ensuring that counter-terrorism measures remain in line with international human rights law.