Jugendschutz.net Annual Report 2024
The report highlights a sharp rise in digital threats to children and young people — particularly in the areas of sexualized violence and political extremism on online platforms.
In 2024, global political events—like the Middle East conflict and the US election—were exploited by extremist groups online to influence young users. Islamist influencers, in particular, combined everyday content with anti-democratic and hateful messages, often reaching wide audiences.
Right-wing extremists and Islamists misuse Discord to target young gamers. The lack of moderation allows them to spread extremist content and engage directly with youth in seemingly harmless chat rooms, aiming to recruit them.
Platforms often act only after official reports from jugendschutz.net, with user reports rarely leading to removal. While Islamist content was taken down more frequently than right-wing extremist content, overall enforcement remains weak, particularly for criminal symbols.T
While enforcement is effective when jugendschutz.net reports – with 99% compliance – the real challenge lies in preventing harmful content through robust age checks, proactive AI-driven moderation, and faster provider responsiveness.
Read the full report here.