Terrorist propaganda is outstripping global efforts to stop it, a UN report finds

The report by CTED, secretariat Security CouncilThe Counter-Terrorism Committee, tracks how terrorist propaganda has progressed far beyond messaging.

It has become part of these groups’ operational structures, determining how they recruit fighters, raise funds, and govern territory.

One particularly worrying trend: children and teenagers are increasingly being targetednot only on social media but through gaming platforms and online communities built around shared interests.

Rapid evolution

“The speed with which terrorist groups adapt their propaganda strategies has created an “acceleration gap” between their strategies and the laws and policies of Member States,” the report warns.

Propaganda has long been an integral part of terrorist strategy but “its spread and scale have grown significantly, and its function is now more central, integrated and adaptive than in previous phases,” he said.

While groups like Al Qaeda – which carried out a seismic terror attack on the US exactly 25 years ago – relied on centralized messages distributed primarily through physical media, the emergence of ISIS, also known as Da’esh, in the mid-2010s ushered in a shift to a “high-volume, multilingual, digitally distributed propaganda ecosystem.”

AI, games and ‘gore’

The report identified several things emerging trends, including the use of artificial intelligence as well as the exploitation of gaming platforms and alternative online spaces like Discord, Twitch, and Stream.

“Terrorist recruitment has targeted young people through gaming, with many groups designing extremist-themed first-person shooter games and modifying existing games to incorporate violent extremist narratives into familiar entertainment formats,” he said.

Meanwhile, graphic violence or “gore” content – ​​for example footage of executions and images of mass victims – and Nihilistic online subcultures are increasingly important for radicalization.

Incorporating narratives, maximizing impact

Another trend is the increasing convergence of violent extremist ideologies in the digital space. In this case, the resulting content combines narratives, symbols and complaints from various contexts to maximize resonance and reach a wide audience.

Government activities as propaganda

Among the recurring themes in the report is the increasing intersection between propaganda and the core functions of other terrorist groups, with a focus on al Qaeda affiliate JNIM in the Sahel, Al‑Shabaab in Somalia, ISIL‑K in Central and South Asia, and the TTP in Pakistan.

The analysis shows that these groups use propaganda “to strengthen government activities, exploit public grievances, build legitimacy, facilitate fundraising and shape perceptions of authority.”

The report notes that although terrorist groups adapt tactics quickly, “policy response and implementation have a longer legislative and operational timeline.”

The report emphasizes that an effective response must address propaganda not only as content, but also as an operational enabler of terrorism, while ensuring that counter-terrorism measures remain in line with international human rights law.