Terror in Villach: How social media contribute to radicalization!

Terror in Villach: How social media contribute to radicalization!

After the shocking terrorist attack in Villach, in which a 14-year-old Austrian was killed and five more injured, the radical influence of social media is increasingly in focus. The perpetrator, a 23-year-old Syrian, had extremed on the Internet, which further fueled the discussion about the role of platforms such as Tiktok. Experts believe that these social networks, often located outside of Europe, make a decisive contribution to the radicalization of young people. As the Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences reports, such platforms specifically promote the consumption of extremist content by leading users in filter bubbles and letting them stay with extreme topics.

demands for hard measures

The need to act against the spread of extremist content on social media is also underlined by Greens boss Werner Kogler. In an urgent letter to the EU Commission, he emphasizes that the Islamistically motivated assassination attempt in Villach is not the first bloody act that is connected to radicalization by TikKOK and other platforms. Kogler calls for the guidelines of the Digital Services Act Rigoros to enforce and to initiate a quick action against Tiktok. A central point in his letter is the requirement for access to data and algorithms of the platform and the suspension of the algorithmic recommendation system in order to stop the spread of extremist -inspired content, such as today reported.

In the meantime, solutions are already being worked on in Vorarlberg to prevent such radicalization processes. According to the youth worker Thomas Dietrich, the coordination group on extremism prevention relies on the promotion of media literacy and community sense. The prevention measures are intended to ensure that young people are not drawn into dangerous companies and strengthen in their identity development, such as Orf Vorarlberg This is the only way to break through the cycle of fear and extremism.