Unseen Risks: A Comprehensive Analysis Reveals the Exploitation of Video Games for Propaganda and Recruitment by Extremists and Foreign Entities

According to a scholarly report from Lund University in Sweden, various groups, from extremist organizations to sovereign states, are increasingly leveraging video games for disseminating propaganda and recruitment. Although social media manipulation has garnered much attention, the role of the video game industry, with its vast global user base, has largely gone unnoticed. Notable instances range from historical exploitation by groups like Hezbollah to Russia’s contemporary use of gaming platforms in the context of the Ukrainian conflict. To mitigate these issues, specialists call for a cooperative approach involving both industry leaders and governmental bodies, all while safeguarding freedom of speech.

The recent study, conducted by the Psychological Defence Research Institute at Lund University in Sweden, notes that a diverse range of entities, including IS, Hezbollah, and Russia, have capitalized on the gaming sphere for various purposes, such as recruitment and the spread of propaganda, particularly during the ongoing Ukrainian crisis.

Since the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, numerous democratic governments have heightened their scrutiny of how digital platforms are exploited by foreign actors. However, the gaming sector, which engages billions worldwide, has been relatively overlooked. Supported by the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency, the Lund University study identified up to 40 security vulnerabilities in gaming platforms.

Jesper Falkheimer, Professor of Strategic Communication at Lund University and co-author of the study, expressed concern that the video game industry, a globally pervasive sector, has been substantially ignored by Western nations. The industry currently provides an accessible and captivating platform for propaganda and persuasive tactics employed by hostile states, organized crime groups, and extremist organizations.

Historical and Current Manipulative Tactics in Gaming

The researchers have cited numerous cases where video games have been utilized for recruitment by terrorist organizations since the early 2000s, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and Da’esh. For example, in 2003, a video game called Special Force was launched by Hezbollah’s Central Internet Bureau.

In recent times, video games have also been utilized in warfare propaganda, specifically in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Russia has reportedly used platforms like Roblox and Minecraft to disseminate information. Notably, a fictional Ukrainian MiG-29 pilot, dubbed the Ghost of Kyiv, garnered significant attention online although the footage was sourced from a 2013 video game called Digital Combat Simulator. Similarly, fact-checking has revealed that a video alleged to represent the Israel-Hamas conflict actually used footage from the game ARMA 3.

According to Falkheimer, the gaming industry lacks adequate policies and mechanisms to counter information influence campaigns. Moreover, there is a paucity of resources for researchers, journalists, and industry professionals to fully comprehend the extent of the exploitation of gaming platforms.

Recommendations for Securing the Gaming Industry

What measures can be adopted to secure an industry that serves as both an entertainment and communication platform for billions globally? The researchers argue that the video game industry could learn from the experiences and challenges faced by social media platforms, citing the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation as an example. Countermeasures should be developed through a collaborative dialogue among industry stakeholders, players, and governments, aiming to protect democratic societies from major threats.

Falkheimer concludes by emphasizing the paramount importance of preserving freedom of speech and expression, arguing that raising awareness is the crucial first step toward a transparent discussion on how to address this urgent issue.

Key Tactics Identified in the Study

1. Reframing Reality: Includes the alteration or distortion of historical events, facts, or real-life situations, as well as the dehumanization through gamification of actual situations.
2. Projecting Authority: Techniques such as censorship and self-censorship aligned with authoritarian values, data harvesting, and espionage.
3. System Hacking and Phishing: Threat actors exploit cyber capabilities to access systems belonging to gamers, organizations, and the industry at large.
4. Interactive Propaganda: Dissemination of both traditional and interactive propaganda via games, establishing relationships with players by forming in-game communities, and radicalization.
5. Social Propaganda: Using gaming as a common cultural thread to introduce propaganda and exacerbate polarization and intolerance.
6. Psychographic Targeting: Threat actors use harvested data to profile and understand individuals, groups, and market segments for various purposes.

Reference: “Malignant Foreign Interference and Information Influence on Video Game Platforms: Understanding the Adversarial Playbook” by James Pamment, Jesper Falkheimer, and Elsa Isaksson, published on 9 October 2023.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Video Game Exploitation for Propaganda and Recruitment

More about Video Game Exploitation for Propaganda and Recruitment

• Lund University Study on Video Game Exploitation
• Swedish Psychological Defence Agency
• EU Code of Practice on Disinformation
• Historical Example: Hezbollah’s Special Force Game
• Fact-checking the Ghost of Kyiv Story
• Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Gaming
• Freedom of Speech in Digital Platforms
• Extremist Groups and Digital Recruitment