The ‘TikTok-ification’ of extremist content and its impact on teen radicalisation

ISD’s Moustafa Ayad, Executive Director for AMEA, spoke with German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) about the growing trend of teens engaging with Islamic State (IS) content online. He noted the “meme-ifying” and the “TikTok-ification” of extremist material, making it appealing through short, aesthetic videos. This “jihadi cool” aspect, he said, likely increases radicalization. Moustafa stressed the need for better content removal by platforms and warned that even poorly planned teen attacks could have serious consequences.