Wall Street Journal: ISIS may be using NFTs to spread terrorist messages

News of the discovery of the first NFT, created and shared by a terrorist supporter, has raised concerns that the immutable nature of blockchain technology could help spread terrorist messages and propaganda and finance their activities.

According to Cointelegraph, the Wall Street Journal examined this issue in an article on September 4 (13 September). Intelligence experts in this article say that ISIS and other terrorist groups may use blockchain technology to evade sanctions and raise funds for their terrorist campaigns.

Raphael Gluck, co-founder of US-based research firm Jihadoscope, found a controversial NFT through the social media accounts of ISIS supporters.

The digital token, called “IS-NEWS #01,” is said to be an image of the ISIS symbol with text praising ISIS militants based in Afghanistan for attacking Taliban positions.

Mario Cosby, a former US government intelligence analyst who also specializes in digital currencies and blockchain, said that the creator of IS-NEWS token #01 created two more NFTs on August 26 (September 4). One of these NFTs is an image of an ISIS fighter teaching students how to make explosives, and the other NFT is an image opposing smoking.

Analysts have said these NFTs could be a sign that terrorist groups are using emerging technologies to spread their message and test new funding strategies.

Gluck says:

It’s a full-fledged experiment in finding ways to make content non-degradable.

According to reports, the token was listed on the OpenSea NFT market; But the company quickly removed it, citing its strict anti-hate and anti-violence policies. The three NFTs were said to be listed on Rarible and several other NFT markets before being delisted.

While none of these NFTs have been traded, their anti-censorship nature raises concerns, Cosby says.

He added:

In fact, there is nothing anyone can do to destroy these NFTs.

Security experts have previously expressed concern about the possibility of terrorists exploiting emerging technologies and markets, including NFTs, to finance their attacks.

The US Treasury also released a study in February highlighting the growth of the NFTs market as a potential concern. Some experts also say that while digital currencies have been linked to several terrorist financing cases, they have not yet become the main means of financing terrorism.