Major takedown of critical online infrastructure to disrupt terrorist communications and propaganda

Judicial and law enforcement authorities across Europe and in the United States have dismantled critical online infrastructure in a large-scale operation to disrupt platforms and websites for terrorist communications and propaganda. In a concerted major action this week, servers were taken down in Germany, the Netherlands, United States and Iceland, with the Spanish authorities arresting nine radicalised individuals.

The servers supported multiple media outlets linked to Islamic State. They were used to disseminate worldwide propaganda and messages capable of inciting terrorism in at least thirty languages. Eurojust and Europol coordinated and supported the joint operations.

This week’s joint operations are part of ongoing efforts and constant vigilance to tackle online terrorist propaganda and communications, including through social media. They targeted key tools and nodes to disseminate radical messages centred on the I’LAM Foundation, which created, operated or supported websites and other communication channels linked to the Islamic State terrorist organisation.

Investigations and the continuous monitoring of online activities of terrorist organisations, led by the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) in 2022 gave insight into the communications of media linked to the I’LAM Foundation. The traceability was complex, as they operated new and sophisticated technological infrastructures. These were hosted on servers that have since been taken down.

The websites and communication channels, such as radio stations, a news agency and social media content, had a global reach. They communicated directives and slogans of Islamic State in over thirty languages, including Spanish, Arabic, English, French, German, Danish, Turkish, Russian, Indonesian and Pashto. Several terabytes of information were uncovered.

The latest efforts follow previous actions, in line with the mandates of Eurojust and Europol, to support national authorities in combatting terrorists and monitoring their online activities. The seizure of computer servers in Germany, the Netherlands, the United States and Iceland was initiated by the Spanish authorities and coordinated by Eurojust, bringing in its expertise in this area.

To prepare for this week’s actions, Eurojust organised a dedicated coordination meeting and assisted with the execution of European Investigation Orders and requests for Mutual Legal Assistance. The Agency also set up a coordination centre on its premises to support the authorities in all countries concerned to carry out searches and take down servers. Europol’s European Counter Terrorism Centre made its full range of services and expertise available to the investigation. Since the launch of investigative activities, Europol has provided intelligence packages mapping the web infrastructure of the targeted online assets through forensic analysis of the servers. Europol’s expertise on the terrorist propaganda landscape was instrumental in informing judicial proceedings.

The Agency also organised several operational meetings, bringing together all the investigators at different critical phases of the investigation. Outreach to the private sector was another important function carried out by Europol in preparation for the action day. Its European Counter Terrorism Centre liaised with technology companies to facilitate the retrieval of electronic evidence central to the investigation. On the action day, a Europol mobile office was deployed to Spain to provide analytical support during the arrests of the suspects.

The following authorities participated in the joint operations this week:

• Spain: Investigative Court no. 1 at Audiencia Nacional; Public Prosecutor’s Office Audiencia Nacional; Civil Guard (Guardia Civil)
• Germany: Public Prosecutor’s Office Nuremburg – Fürth; Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt)
• The Netherlands: National Public Prosecution Service (Landelijk Parket); National Police (Nationale Politie)
• United States: Department of Justice; Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Iceland: National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police and Reykjavik Metropolitan Police