Compromised Play

Games have now become an effective tool that radicalizes and normalizes taboo behaviors and beliefs. Developers are able to shapes narratives and compel users to play an active role in its service, requiring players to engage with repeated thematic reinforcement. To fight this growth of extremism, awareness and proactivity of online app stores is critical.

In this report, ActiveFence investigates where bad actors are active, penetrating the unindexed deep web and scan the dark web alongside social media and messaging platforms. Here, we provide examples of the abuse of online app and gaming stores by dangerous actors, ranging from child predators, to the far right and extremist Islamist terror groups, seeking to disseminate their agenda through bespoke games.