(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 two sets of files for modifying the video game Roblox to recreate the Christchurch terrorist attack in the game. CEP researchers also located seven clips on TikTok on February 12 that showed simulations of the Christchurch and Buffalo attack videos. Accounts that uploaded the clips also posted white supremacist and anti-Muslim content.
CEP researchers also found comments on an imageboard on the dark web that praised the Orebro, Sweden attacker, who murdered 10 people in the country’s worst mass shooting. Online pro-ISIS supporters celebrated the February 13 Munich car ramming, even though the terrorist group has not claimed responsibility for the attack.
The white supremacist Active Club movement announced the creation of new X (formerly Twitter), Substack, and TikTok accounts in an attempt to increase recruitment and spread propaganda on mainstream platforms. On Telegram, the united Florida Active Club chapter announced the opening of a private gym for use by the group, and potential recruits, and as a location to hold events.
ISIS released a new propaganda video from their self-proclaimed Sahel province on February 10. A German-language pro-ISIS group released a pamphlet online on February 13 calling for acts of terrorism that originally appeared in a September 2016 ISIS magazine. CEP also reported a Bio.Link landing page used by a pro-ISIS online group. Finally, a pro-ISIS Telegram channel administrator warned their followers to avoid AI chatbots, stating that they presented a privacy risk.
Files For Simulating Christchurch Terrorist Attack in Roblox Located
On February 12, CEP researchers located two modification (mod) files for simulating the Christchurch terrorist attack in the video game Roblox. Both files were found on a website dedicated to Roblox content but not directly affiliated with the Roblox Corporation. One file, uploaded to the site in November 2024, allegedly contained map and game files for recreating the Christchurch attack and had over 1,800 views and 184 downloads when it was located. The second set of files, uploaded on January 10, allegedly also contained a map and game files for simulating the attack video and had over 500 views and 36 downloads, but restricted downloads to specific group members on the website. Users uploaded photos to the site that showed screenshots from the Roblox mod, recreating the March 2019 attack video. An 18-year-old Singaporean student who was recently detained and allegedly wanted to commit anti-Muslim and anti-Malay attacks reportedly played games modified to simulate the Christchurch attack. CEP reported the files to relevant national authorities.
Recreations of Christchurch and Buffalo Attack Videos Using Videogames Located on TikTok
In a search of TikTok on February 12, CEP researchers located six clips that simulated the Christchurch terrorist attack in Roblox, Doom, and Garry’s Mod. The six videos were uploaded between January 22 and February 10 and had an average of 45,702 views, ranging between 1,291 and 195,000. The clips, which were close recreations of the March 15, 2019, terrorist attack video, contained firearms modified to look like the attacker’s rifle with white supremacist messages written in white paint and often contained music used in the original attack video. All accounts that posted the clips had also posted other extreme-right content, such as clips glorifying the Christchurch attacker, anti-Muslim posts, profile photos of the gunman, or content glorifying other white supremacist mass shooters.
An additional video, uploaded on January 9, contained a recreation of the May 2022 Buffalo attack in a video game with over 8,600 views on TikTok. The user also shared links to the game files on the Steam platform to allow other users to simulate the attack.
CEP researchers reported the seven clips to TikTok on February 13. Six uploads were still on the platform on February 18.
Dark Web Imageboard Users Praise Orebro, Sweden Attacker
Several users of an imageboard on the dark web praised the Orebro, Sweden attacker, who killed 10 people at an adult education center in what has been called the country’s worst mass shooting. The perpetrator reportedly killed himself during the February 4 attack. Police have not publicly revealed the gunman’s motive.
Posters on the imageboard, none of whom claimed to know or be connected to the attacker personally, called the shootings a justified attack against immigrants and alleged that the attacker had lost access to social assistance. One user claimed that the attacker was correct in allegedly targeting school employees and immigrant students. Users of the imageboard shared photos honoring the gunman.
Online ISIS Supporters Celebrate Munich Car Ramming
On February 13, online ISIS supporters celebrated an attack committed that day by a 24-year-old asylum seeker in Munich, Germany, that injured at least 28 people. The suspect, who was taken into custody alive by German police, reportedly accelerated his vehicle and drove into a trade union demonstration. Online ISIS supporters on Telegram, RocketChat, and Element posted photos of the attack and noted the number of people injured.
Main Active Club Telegram Account Announces New X, Substack, and TikTok Accounts in Attempt to Increase Appeal
On February 8, the main Active Club Telegram account, which has almost 4,500 followers, announced the creation of new accounts on X, Substack, and TikTok for the white supremacist movement. The post noted that while the Active Club movement has had less success on some mainstream platforms, they hoped to gain a following outside of Telegram’s “confines” to spread their message further. The Substack, created in January, contained posts promoting the white supremacist movement, describing it as a countercultural force, and encouraged joining local chapters and participating in activities such as boxing, mixed martial arts, and distributing political fliers. The X account contained links to the movement’s content on other websites and defended a chapter in England following an ITV News investigation. The TikTok account posted seven videos since late January promoting the movement.
Active Club affiliated post on Substack. Screenshot taken on February 13.
Florida Active Club Announces Opening of Private Gym
On February 11, the Telegram channel representing all Florida chapters of the white supremacist Active Club movement announced the opening of a free private gym. The post, which did not list the gym’s location, stated that it included equipment for weight training and boxing, as well as a 3D printer and T-shirt printing equipment. A video advertising the gym, which was shared by several Active Club Telegram channels, claimed that individuals could “train with professionals” and would need to contact the group to attend. The post noted that the group would hold a powerlifting event in March.
Active Club Florida video on Telegram. Screenshot taken on February 13.
ISIS Sahel Province Releases New Propaganda Video
On February 10, ISIS released a new propaganda video titled “Sons of the Fierce Battles 2” that featured the group’s self-proclaimed Sahel province. The approximately 20-minute video declared that ISIS would continue fighting in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, regardless of which government was in control and whether they were aligned with the West or Russia. The video condemned separatist groups in Mali and the al-Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM). The video included footage of ISIS engaged in combat in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, including attacks allegedly targeting military contractors from the Wagner Group. The video was spread on Telegram, RocketChat, Element, and the Internet Archive. The Internet Archive made seven video downloads inaccessible after CEP reported them.
ISIS propaganda video on Telegram. Screenshot taken on February 13.
German Language Pro-ISIS Pamphlet Released
On February 13, the online pro-ISIS German language propaganda group al-Saif Media released an 18-page pamphlet calling for acts of terrorism. The pamphlet, released on the group’s RocketChat page, was a German translation of an article originally appearing in the first issue of the English-language magazine Rumiyah, released in September 2016. The article declared that fighting against “tyrants” was mandatory and that it was permissible to kill civilians in attacks.
Pro-ISIS al-Saif Media logo. Screenshot taken on February 13.
Bio.Link Page for Pro-ISIS Online Propaganda Group Reported
On February 12, CEP researchers reported a directory page on the Bio.Link service for an online pro-ISIS propaganda group. The directory contained links to a website hosting pro-ISIS audio, a RocketChat room, and a Telegram bot used by the group. On RocketChat, the group praised acts of terrorism, including the New Orleans New Year’s Day attack, and advertised ISIS propaganda videos. Bio.Link’s Terms of Service prohibit using the service to promote violence. Bio.Link did not remove the page after CEP reported it.
Bio.Link page for online pro-ISIS group. Screenshot taken on February 13.
Pro-ISIS User Recommends Avoiding AI Chatbots
On February 10, a pro-ISIS Telegram channel warned their 2,200 subscribers to avoid artificial intelligence chatbots. The post noted that free services often pose privacy risks and gather user data. The channel warned that this applied to ChatGPT and the chatbot DeepSeek, developed by a Chinese company, a free version of which was unveiled in January.