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

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. 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 te...