«Gamification» of crime – new challenge for the EU

Abstract

In November 2024, Europol published an intelligence notification on the recruitment of minors in EU countries into criminal networks, including extremist ones. Criminal recruiters often adopt language and communication styles similar to those of social media influencers. Illegal tasks can be presented as «challenges» or «missions», making them more attractive and less frightening to minors. This approach, known as gamification, resonates with a young audience familiar with online games. At the same time, gaming and adjacent platforms themselves are increasingly becoming platforms for recruiting minors. The European Radicalization Awareness Network provides recommendations for law enforcement on countering gamified recruitment. The author analyzes the extent of the threat and the current EU approach to combating it. It has been established that the threat of recruiting younger perpetrators into criminal networks has increased in the European Union in recent years. The gamification of this recruitment occurs through a wide range of manipulative techniques – from recruiters copying the language of subcultures to exploiting such needs of young people as the need for recognition and belonging to a group.

Keywords

• europol
• radicalisation awareness network (ran)
• organised crime
• extremism
• terrorist recruitment
• minors’ recruitment
• gamification
• gaming platforms