On November 27, 2024, Bledar Feta participated in the online webinar “Extremist Narratives in Play: Gaming and Digital Spaces as Radicalization Arenas,” hosted by the Kosovo Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) as part of the Horizon Europe SMIDGE project. The session brought together three experts to explore the complexities of radicalization within gaming communities and digital spaces. The webinar highlighted how extremist narratives exploit these environments and discussed strategies to counter their influence.

Bledar Feta presented a policy-oriented perspective on combating online radicalization in gaming spaces. He emphasized how extremists are exploiting the gaming ecosystem, explaining the challenges faced by policymakers in establishing strategies to detect extremist presence in online gaming spaces and the need for effective prevention strategies. Feta stated that “there is a need for preventive measures that will not infringe on gamers’ rights to privacy and freedom of expression, as well as for developing and enforcing regulations that keep pace with the evolving gaming landscape.”

The SMIDGE webinar provided a platform for critical dialogue and collaboration, reinforcing the need for collective efforts to tackle the complex phenomenon of online radicalization. The speakers identified a sense of belonging and nostalgic deprivation as central to the radicalization process. They highlighted the fast-paced evolution of gaming technology and the anonymous nature of online interactions as major challenges for policymakers. The speakers emphasized the necessity of a multi-stakeholder approach, which includes developing advanced monitoring tools, fostering intergroup dialogue, and engaging gamers, parents, and stakeholders in creating effective preventive measures.

 

Here you can see the full webinar published on YouTube and here  is a news item published on the SMIDGE Project.

You can learn more about the GEMS project news and updates here

Δημοσίευση: 04/12/2024
Έργα
24153GEMS Project at SMIDGE’s Webinar on Gaming and Extremism – Bledar Feta
GEMS – Gaming Ecosystem as a Multi-layered Security Threat
Ioannis Armakolas
Bledar FetaAlexandros KoutrasIoanna GiakoumopoulouMarianna Katsaouni
Αναλυτές
Bledar Feta Research Fellow, Foreign policy, domestic politics, human rights in South-East Europe