Chat and gaming platforms digital playground for extremist groups

Environment in the platforms enables extremists to socialise, share propaganda and subtly recruit, a study has found

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Platforms that allow players to chat along with gaming, or gaming-adjacent platforms, present an opportunity for extremist groups to recruit and radicalise impressionable users, a study that interviewed gamers has found.

Gaming-adjacent platforms such as 'Steam', 'Discord' and 'Twitch' allow users to chat and live stream while playing. They are also known to be relatively less regulated.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers of Psychology, said that Discord and Twitch are experiencing a steady increase in their user bases, which researchers said provides an opportunity for established extremist communities to radicalise and reach new audiences.