Argentine prosecutors warn online games can be used by terrorists to recruit teens

Argentine prosecutors are raising alarms about the use of popular online platforms, including video games like Roblox and Minecraft, and messaging services such as Discord and Telegram, as recruitment tools for extremist groups targeting adolescents. The National Prosecutorial Office has released a guide to help prosecutors, judges, and security forces detect and combat this emerging form of terrorism.

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online video games, like Roblox and Minecraft, or messaging services, like Discord and Telegram, can be used for the recruitment of adolescents.

The guide emphasizes the "terrorist cycle," arguing that law enforcement should not wait until an attack is imminent to intervene. Instead, it advocates for identifying and prosecuting early stages like radicalization, recruitment, and training. The document highlights that while games themselves are not extremist tools, certain organizations have recognized their potential to identify and groom vulnerable individuals.

Recruiters reportedly target young people exhibiting social isolation, low self-esteem, frustration, or a strong need for validation within virtual communities. The recruitment process begins with informal, game-related interactions, which then evolve into conversations with political, ideological, or identity-based content. Trust built through gaming is leveraged to move individuals to more closed platforms like Discord, Telegram, or private forums, where systematic exposure to propaganda occurs.

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waiting for the attack to occur or to be imminent for criminal law to intervene is not only ineffective but negligent.

The guide acknowledges that there is no single profile of a terrorist. However, it identifies psychosocial factors that increase susceptibility, including feelings of injustice, betrayal, or humiliation, a search for purpose, emotional vulnerability due to loss or social marginalization, and sudden changes in behavior or habits.

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the games 'in themselves' are not extremist tools, but that certain organizations have warned of the potential of these spaces to identify and capture vulnerable people.