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NFTs Praise Islamic Extremists Raise Concerns About Using Blockchain To Spread Terrorist Propaganda
According to The Wall Street Journal, a former U.S. intelligence official said that simple NFTs from terrorist sympathizers who praised Islamic extremists were funded by IS turning to blockchain and NFTs. identified as indicating a possible propaganda campaign. report yesterday.
The NFT in question is the first known use of the increasingly popular technology in activities that may be directly or indirectly related to terrorism. However, experts warn that the blockchain’s anonymous and immutable nature could entice terrorists to use its application to spread terrorist messages and evade sanctions.
The digital token was discovered by Raphael Gluck, co-founder of American research firm Jihadscope, on social media accounts supporting ISIS. His NFT, called IS-NEWS #01, consists of text praising Afghan militants for attacking Taliban positions. You can also see the coat of arms of the Islamic State.
According to Mario Cosby, a former federal intelligence analyst who specializes in blockchain currencies, users created two more NFTs on Aug. 26. One of whom he has captured his IS fighters training students to develop explosives, another he accuses of smoking cigarettes, the analyst added.
These NFTs could be experiments by terrorist groups to test whether emerging technologies can be used to spread messages and develop new fundraising strategies.
“It’s very experimental [] It’s about finding ways to make the content indestructible,” Gluck said.
The NFT has reportedly been listed on OpenSea, a digital token marketplace. However, the company quickly removed it and banned the poster’s account.It also reminded users that the marketplace has a “no tolerance policy for inciting hatred and violence.” . Similar events have been witnessed in several other NFT marketplaces, including Rarible.
According to Cosby, the token doesn’t appear to be trading, but its existence has already raised concerns.
“…It’s as censor-resistant as you can get. There’s really nothing anyone can do to actually destroy this NFT.
