Europol has announced the results of a year-long investigation into terrorist-operated websites, culminating in a major operation to take down these platforms. Known as Operation HOPPER II, this joint effort involved ten countries working together to disrupt online propaganda activities of various terrorist organizations, including the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. The operation specifically targeted websites used for disseminating extremist content, limiting the ability of these groups to recruit and radicalize individuals online.
During the operation, Europol referred 13 websites to hosting service providers for removal and seized four servers located in Romania, Ukraine, and Iceland. These actions are part of an ongoing effort to combat the spread of terrorist propaganda and to prevent the online recruitment and radicalization of individuals. The operation also highlighted the challenge of dealing with copycat domains that may emerge in the future.
Europol’s European Counter Terrorism Centre, along with the European Union Internet Referral Unit (EU IRU), played a crucial role in coordinating the operation. The technical platform known as PERCI facilitated the centralization and transmission of removal orders to hosting providers, ensuring swift action against terrorist content. The operation ran in parallel with Spain’s Operation ALMUASASA, further intensifying efforts against extremist ideologies.
This operation underscores the EU IRU’s commitment to disrupting terrorist content online and demonstrates the importance of international cooperation in addressing the threat of online terrorism. The success of Operation HOPPER II reflects the ongoing vigilance and technical innovation necessary to combat the evolving landscape of extremist propaganda on the internet.
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