Online radicalization is no longer a distant threat. In the first months of 2025, multiple violent attacks across the United States, Europe and the Middle East were carried out by individuals who consumed extremist content online before acting. As new safety laws such as the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA), and the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) take effect, the consequences of leaving these digital pathways unchecked are becoming impossible to ignore.
At Resolver Trust & Safety, we have investigated several recent cases in which online radicalization contributed to real-world violence. These incidents show how extremist content can influence individuals who later commit offline harm. Our review of violent attacks in the first quarter of 2025 found that exposure to ideological content online played a contributing role in radicalizing perpetrators.
The findings also show that terrorist groups such as the Islamic State maintain a continued online presence despite enforcement efforts. Their activity highlights the tactics and techniques used by proscribed organizations to disseminate propaganda and ideological material. For Trust and Safety professionals at major platforms, these patterns raise important questions about what mitigation strategies are required to reduce risk.
We are proud to support platform teams with proactive monitoring and intelligence on escalating terrorism threats worldwide. Read on to learn how work helps clients identify emerging risks early and respond before harm spreads.
NOTE: This report covers only credible, confirmed events in which perpetrators were radicalized online. Cases involving gang violence, foiled or disputed incidents, attacks without terrorism charges, or events where details are not yet public because of ongoing legal proceedings have been deliberately excluded to maintain the report's focus and accuracy.
Terrorism tracker: Online-inspired violence in Q1 2025
Geographic distribution of terror attacks across Q1 2025.
New Orleans, USA
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Las Vegas, USA
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Munich, Germany
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Villach, Austria
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Mulhouse, France
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Dohuk, Iraq
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Extremist propaganda acts as gateway to real-world harms
The first quarter of 2025 underscored the urgent and evolving threat of online radicalization. Several attacks were linked to individuals who consumed extremist material online before acting. These cases show how digital propaganda can translate into real-world violence, not only by initiating radicalization but also by inspiring copycat behavior through social media amplification.
The findings also point to the continued influence of the Islamic State online. Although these incidents may appear concentrated in Western contexts, they are global challenges. In regions such as the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Africa, where local and social drivers of extremism take precedence, violent groups continue to maintain a sophisticated and targeted online presence.
These networks use social platforms not only for recruitment and ideological dissemination but also to shape narratives and encourage action in ways similar to those observed in Europe and North America. For example, earlier this year three Singaporeans were arrested after separately self-radicalizing online, reportedly influenced by the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
A real-world case: How Resolver stopped a school attack
In early 2025, Resolver analysts helped prevent a potential mass-casualty attack at a U.S. public school after detecting a series of escalating online signals. The perpetrator posted a vague shooting threat on social media at 04:05 EST. Within seconds, Resolver’s systems collected the post and surfaced it for human review.
- Over the next few minutes, analysts uncovered additional indicators:
- A second post referencing plans to livestream the violence
- A prior video recorded outside an elementary school
- Multiple posts consistent with known online radicalization patterns
Using video analysis, network intelligence, and open-source techniques, the team identified the individual, matched associated profiles, and escalated findings to the partner platform and relevant law enforcement. Authorities evacuated the school and detained the suspect. The planned attack did not occur.
This incident shows how quickly online signals can escalate into credible threat scenarios — and how early detection and coordinated escalation can prevent real-world harm.
Disrupting digital terror networks on social platforms
Resolver’s appraisal of violent attacks in the first quarter of 2025 found that many incidents were influenced by radical content amplified across social media platforms. In some cases, online material may have played a primary role in motivating individuals to act — a deeply concerning pattern for Trust and Safety professionals. While extreme content is often assumed to live on encrypted apps or the dark web, its presence on mainstream platforms remains a significant risk.
Violent extremism–linked content on major social media platforms is often more implicit and less graphic — a deliberate tactic to avoid moderation. Despite being less explicit, its reach can be far broader. Posts on mainstream platforms frequently link to off-platform spaces where content is more overt, explicit and more directly encouraging of real-world violence. In this way, mainstream platforms can unintentionally serve as conduits to more radical material.
In the Trust and Safety space, disrupting these networks requires proactive action. This includes identifying accounts that act as vectors for extremist content and recruitment, and responding quickly to the evolving tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) used to evade detection. Beyond platform enforcement, Trust and Safety teams also play an important role in supporting law enforcement. Timely identification and escalation can help authorities intervene before online activity escalates into real-world harm.
Building a global strategy for combating violent extremism online
The incidents in this report highlight a persistent challenge for Trust and Safety teams: how to define and manage violent extremism online when classification varies by ideology, geography and legal standard. Several attacks in Q1 2025 were carried out by individuals who were self-radicalized online and inspired by groups such as the Islamic State, despite having no formal affiliation. Yet similar acts of violence — including those linked to misogynistic or incel-aligned ideology — are not always categorized as terrorism, even when the online indicators follow the same pattern.
These inconsistencies make it harder for platforms to understand risk escalation, identify shared drivers across ideologies, and apply enforcement policies with confidence. They also limit the ability to track emerging trends and develop prevention strategies that address the full spectrum of online-enabled harm. A more holistic and globally aligned strategy is needed — one that recognizes radicalization as a cross-cutting digital phenomenon, not an issue confined to traditional terrorism alone. This includes clearer taxonomies, consistent policy application and early detection of the narratives, behaviors and signals that precede real-world violence.
Resolver has spent two decades supporting platforms, regulators and investigators in identifying these risks and understanding how they evolve. If your team is focused on strengthening your approach to violent extremism and online-enabled harms, our analysts can help you build a clearer picture of emerging threats and improve your confidence in response.
If you want expert guidance on managing these risks, reach out to our Trust & Safety Intelligence team.
