Alarming radicalization: Young people are planning attacks on Telegram

Alarming radicalization: Young people are planning attacks on Telegram

Österreich - When the constitutional protection report in 2024 was published, an alarming picture of the security situation in Austria emerged. According to Kosmo, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) identifies Islamist extremism than the central threat.

Since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, the situation has increased significantly according to the report. A total of 215 acts, 68 house searches and 28 arrests in the area of ​​Islamist extremism were documented in the past year, which led to an increase in terrorist actions by 40 percent. Right -wing extremism also recorded a sudden increase in ads by 23 percent. Bodily harm, property damage and illegal weapons are among the most common crimes.

radicalization in the digital age

Digital radicalization among young people is a growing problem. According to the report, the number of extremist activities that are propagated online has more than doubled since 2022. Social media in particular are increasingly being used as platforms to manipulate and radicalize minors, as well as [Land NRW] (https://www.land.nrw/Pressemitteilung/verfektungschutz-2024-Extremism-werd-juenger-undler-spy- and).

An example of this development is a 16-year-old adolescent who founded a right-wing extremist Telegram group in 2024 and spread anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim content. This illustrates how radical ideologies are increasingly addressing youth and are anchored in digital rooms. Right -wing extremism is increasingly aimed at young people, the scene has become younger and more modern.

The constitutional protection report also shows a worrying increase in politically motivated crimes that rose to around 11,000 cases in 2024, which corresponds to an increase of 42 percent compared to the previous year. Since 23 percent of these crimes have been committed on the Internet, it becomes clear that extremism is increasing in digital space. In particular, 19 percent of politically motivated crimes fell under the category of hate crime, an alarming development that underlines the need for action.

threats and security measures

The threats in Austria are diverse. In addition to Islamist extremism and the increase in right -wing extremist behavior, left -wing extremist activities have increased by 120 percent, whereby the focus is on bodily harm and property damage. The potential of extremist Salafism is also valued at around 2,700 people, 600 of whom are classified as violent.

The security authorities face the challenge of reacting to both physical and cyber -based threats. The increase in threats to ministries, companies and the parliament has already led to targeted protective measures. Hundreds of consultations with operators of critical infrastructure were carried out to protect from cyber attacks. The protection of the constitution acts as an early warning system and also supports other authorities to stabilize the security situation.

Security is an ongoing process, the importance of which is emphasized by DSN boss Omar Haijawi-Pirchner. The goal must be to protect young people from the ideological attacks of extremist groups and to offer them alternatives.