EU warns of rising youth-driven online violent extremism as 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches

On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, EU counter-terrorism officials warned that a novel form of violent extremism is gaining traction among young internet users. Bartjan Wegter described the phenomenon as “violence for the sake of violence,” driven by a desire for notoriety and status within online circles rather than clear political goals. Police in nine European countries identified thousands of URLs associated with an online community dubbed “The COM.”

Although jihadist groups remain responsible for the majority of recent attacks and arrests, roughly one-third of those detained are under 18, predominantly male. Cases in Finland and Italy illustrate how teenagers have planned or carried out stabbings and murder plots after sharing manifestos or violent media online. Law-enforcement agencies face challenges because these youths often have no prior records and communicate through encrypted channels, while AI tools amplify extremist content and recruitment.