Knife attack in Villach: Radicalization by Tikkok in sight!

Knife attack in Villach: Radicalization by Tikkok in sight!

Villach, Österreich - The most brutal act shaked Villach on February 17, 2025: A 23-year-old Syrian stabbed a 14-year-old boy and injured five other people. The investigators suspect an Islamist motive behind this fatal attack, since the perpetrator had apparently radicalized on the Internet - mainly about the controversial TIKTOK platform, as news.orf.at . Experts warn that such platforms always serve as a breeding ground for hate preachers and extremist content.

radicalization by social media

The terrorist researcher Peter Neumann found that certain “Islamist influencers” reach young people with their videos on platforms such as Tikok and Instagram. The algorithms of these social networks show users increasingly content that corresponds to their click preferences, which can lead to a dangerous filter bubble. Lukas Daniel Klausner from the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences said that only a few clicks are needed to get to such an echo chamber where radical Islamist content is in the foreground. These clips are particularly tricky because they initially treat harmlessly acting everyday topics, such as social norms within Islam, according to digital expert Ingrid Brodnig. Moderation mechanisms that make effective control of the content more difficult.

Currently there are between 25 and 50 suspects in Lower Austria who may be members of a terrorist association. The Situation not only calls the police, but also politics. Experts demand more transparency and revision of the algorithms to counteract radicalization. It is crucial that social networks such as Tikok in Europe will be regulated more to prevent similar incidents in the future, as recently took place in Villach.