European Observatory to Combat Radicalization – EOCR

Extremist Content Online: Antisemitic, Anti-Muslim, And Pro-Nazi Content Located On TikTok

(New York, N.Y.) — The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by extremists and terrorist groups on the Internet to spread propaganda and incite violence. Last week, CEP researchers located 20 TikTok accounts showcasing antisemitic, anti-Muslim, and pro-Nazi content. Despite being reported to TikTok on April 25, these accounts were still live as of April 29.

Also last week, users on extreme right Telegram channels mocked the British government’s decision to proscribe the online neo-Nazi Terrorgram network, with one channel encouraging violence by lone actors. Additionally, the pro-ISIS group Al Jauhar Media Center solicited donations via the cryptocurrency Monero on April 23, approximately two weeks after it released a web magazine with content celebrating the Moscow concert hall attack and criticizing the Chinese government for its treatment of Uyghurs.

On PasteThis.To and RocketChat, the pro-ISIS Qimam Electronic Foundation (QEF) shared tips for detecting smartphone surveillance and hacking, offering advice on apps to increase privacy. Finally, a user on Twitter/X announced that they were recruiting 14-17-year-old males to join a “youth chapter” of the white supremacist Active Club movement in Massachusetts.

Antisemitic, Anti-Muslim, and Content Glorifying Violence Located on TikTok

In a sample of content located on April 25, CEP researchers found 20 TikTok accounts that posted antisemitic, anti-Muslim, and pro-Nazi content, as well as posts that glorified the perpetrators of acts of terrorism. Fifteen accounts celebrated or promoted individuals who committed violent acts, including the 2019 Christchurch terrorist, the 2011 Oslo attacker, the 2022 Buffalo shooter, the 2022 Bratislava attacker, and the man who killed six people and wounded five others at a Quebec City mosque in 2017.

One account, with over 3,700 followers, posted a large quantity of antisemitic videos, used an antisemitic slur in the profile name, and called for the “complete annihilation of” Jews. Another account, with over 1,100 followers, posted a video of the Australian neo-Nazi Jacob Hersant promoting white supremacism and fascism, which received over 21,500 views in the two and a half months it was on TikTok. Several other accounts promoted the Order of Nine Angles, the Atomwaffen Division, the Nordic Resistance Movement, and the Goyim Defense League.

The 20 accounts had an average of 659 followers, with accounts ranging between 16 and 3,742 followers. Six accounts had over 1,000 followers.

CEP reported the accounts to TikTok on April 25. They were not removed by April 29.

“TikTok’s failure to promptly remove antisemitic, anti-Muslim, pro-Nazi, and violence-glorifying content is negligent and helps spread online hate to a large audience. It is especially alarming that accounts that glorify white supremacist mass shooters were not removed in the four days after CEP reported them,” said CEP researcher Joshua Fisher-Birch. “It is imperative that TikTok takes measures to address the spread of this violent extremist content, including implementing more robust and timely content moderation mechanisms.”

Terrorgram Reacts to British Government Proscription 

Following the announcement on April 22 that the British government would proscribe the online neo-Nazi propaganda network known as Terrorgram, extreme right Telegram channels posted news articles and generally mocked the outlawing of the network. Several channels and members of Telegram chats posted Terrorgram manuals following the adoption of the proscription of the online network on April 26. The manuals, released in June and December of 2021 and July 2022, call for acts of violence against a wide variety of groups, including Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Latinos, immigrants, LGTBQ+ people, journalists, law enforcement, and the government. The manuals encourage attacks against electrical and transportation infrastructure and houses of worship. The July 2022 guide included information on producing homemade explosives and additional helpful information for committing a terrorist attack, such as operations security, how to conduct surveillance, target selection, and suggestions for equipment.

On April 23, a prominent Terrorgram-related Telegram channel noted with approval that a terrorism and extremism publication wrote that lone actors presented the most significant domestic threat to the U.S. The Telegram post encouraged acts of violence, stating that terrorism was what the government feared and not acts of non-violent protest or propaganda campaigns.

Pro-ISIS Propaganda Group Requests Monero Donations

On April 23, the pro-ISIS propaganda group Al Jauhar Media Center requested donations using the Monero privacy cryptocurrency. The post and previous articles from the group indicate they are located in or have connections to India. After a year of silence, Al Jauhar released the third issue of their English language web magazine Serat ul Haq on April 10. Articles condemned the Indian government, the Taliban, democracy, and non-violent activism, celebrated the March 22 Moscow concert hall attack, and specifically denounced the Chinese government for their persecution of the Uyghurs.

Pro-ISIS users of a chat program have previously discussed acquiring Monero while avoiding Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements and have recommended exchanges for purchasing Monero. Online pro-ISIS groups operate at least four other Monero wallets where donations can be sent. In October 2023, the pro-ISIS propaganda group Al-Azaim, which promotes content related to ISIS-K, requested donations in Monero for the first time.