Level Up – Gaming and Violent Extremism in Africa

Level Up – Gaming and Violent Extremism in Africa aims to deepen understanding of online harms in gaming spaces, particularly in the context of violent extremism. As gaming becomes increasingly social — especially through online mobile multiplayer titles with in-game chat — the potential for terrorist and violent extremist exploitation continues to grow.Africa, the largest and fastest-growing gaming region globally, is particularly relevant in this regard, given that it is already heavily affected by terrorism. By 2030, Sub-Saharan Africa alone is expected to reach 751 million mobile-phone owners, the vast majority using smartphones. Riding this digital wave, the continent now counts around 349 million gamers, generating US$1.8 billion annually. With analysts predicting that “the next bill...

The Social Re-Use of Seized and Confiscated Assets: Good Policies and Practices

  Organized crime and corruption undermine state revenues, weaken institutional credibility, and obstruct long-term development goals. Asset recovery, and in particular the social re-use of seized and confiscated assets, is a key response to ensure that illicitly-acquired resources - from financial proceeds to real estate - are not only recovered, but also redirected to serve community needs. The social re-use of seized and confiscated assets is an essential element of the asset recovery cycle, which includes the tracing, seizure, confiscation, management, and eventual return of illicitly-obtained assets. Social re-use is not only about sanctioning crime, but it also refers to channelling confiscated assets back into society by investing them in healthcare, education, employ...

Clicks, Links & Tricks, Oh My! How Serious Organized Criminals Exploit Digital Trust Pathways

The integration of digital infrastructure into every dimension of modern society has created unprecedented opportunities for innovation and growth. At the same time, it has opened new avenues for exploitation by serious and organized criminal actors.The new publication Clicks, Links & Tricks, Oh My! How Serious Organized Criminals Exploit Digital Trust Pathways examines how fundamental components of the Internet - domain names, uniform resource locators (URLs), and web traffic systems - are systematically manipulated. These elements, referred to throughout the report as “digital trust pathways”, have become central enablers of a wide range of illicit activities. Strategically misused, they serve to facilitate, expand, and conceal criminal operations on a global scale.Cybercriminals are...