GEMS

There is widespread agreement across police authorities, policy makers and the academic community that the video gaming ecosystem plays a substantial role in the process of radicalization. However as yet there is no compelling evidence base to understand how the process takes place, or the best measures to prevent the radicalization process. Games as a Multi-layered Security Threat (GEMS) is an interdisciplinary, mixed-method and cross-sectoral project bringing together academic researchers, AI specialists, policy experts and a range of police authorities from across Europe in order to address this challenge. Co-creation of knowledge with a comprehensive end-user engagement is the fundamental principle of GEMS. The main aims of GEMS are: 1) to contribute to a scientific advancement of the field of radicalisation and violent extremism by developing a new academic field of Sociology of Gaming and Radicalisation; 2) to provide EPAs with a novel Training Curriculum and an innovative tool, the Watchtower (a future-proof AI platform trained to recognise and prevent the spread of extremist content and recruitment in the online gaming space); 3) to create a new cross-sectoral collaborative network dedicated to countering extremist presence in the gaming ecosystem – European Networks Against Gaming-Related Extremism (ENgaGE); and 4) to develop an effective Citizens Awareness Campaign and evidence-based Policy Solutions which will greatly improve high level decision making, empower citizens and enhance youth protection. These aims will significantly contribute to the fight against the rapid spread of extremism in the online gaming spaces and lead to a secure cyberspace.