Government of Canada announces funding to study potential for radicalization to violence across gaming platforms

OTTAWA, ON, March 13, 2024 /CNW/ - Today the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, announced a federal investment of more than $317,000 to the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, for its partnership with the Extremism and Gaming Research Network, which seeks to better understand potentially harmful socialization processes on gaming and gaming-adjacent platforms.

This project will analyze data from across multiple online platforms to investigate how the formation of communities alongside gameplay has the potential to create environments conducive to radicalization to violent extremism. Through gender-based analysis, this study will examine how identities are formed for both individuals and groups of gamers, and understand how misogyny can connect violent extremist ideologies across geography and culture on gaming and gaming-adjacent platforms.

It will aim to provide a more comprehensive understanding of potentially harmful socialization processes on gaming and gaming-adjacent platforms. This will help to ensure the safety of users on these platforms, counter abuse of these platforms for radicalization and recruitment into violent extremism, and inform preventative efforts to reach users at the intersection of gaming subcultures and violent extremism.

This investment is made through Public Safety's Community Resilience Fund (CRF), which supports partnerships and innovation in countering radicalization to violence.

"The research done by Royal United Services Institute and the Extremism and Gaming Research Network will help strengthen Canada's resilience, and increase our capacity to identify and prevent radicalization to violence. Supporting initiatives like this is key to keeping Canadians safe."

-     The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs

"With our Community Resilience Fund gaming-centred project, we seek to improve understanding through an intersectional gender lens of how identities and communities form and intersect in gaming spaces, to better protect gamers from exploitation by those spreading targeted hate-based discrimination and extremism. Our project partners look forward to strengthening Canada's resilience by contributing to violence prevention strategies, especially tailored for gaming spaces."

-     Dr. Jessica White and Galen Lamphere-Englund, Project Leads, Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies

• Public Safety's Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence (Canada Centre) leads the Government of Canada's efforts to counter radicalization to violence, and works with all levels of government, not-for-profit organizations, communities, youth, frontline practitioners, academia, law enforcement, and international organizations.
• The Community Resilience Fund, led by Public Safety's Canada Centre, provides financial support to organizations working to improve Canada's understanding and capacity to prevent and counter violent extremism.
• The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies is one of the United Kingdom's leading defence and security think tanks. Their mission is to inform, influence and enhance public debate to help build a safer and more stable world.
• The Extremism and Gaming Research Network is a leading international initiative researching the nexus between extremism and gaming, while implementing activities that tackle the misuse of video games and gaming platforms by extremist actors.

• Backgrounder
• Government of Canada launches Call for Applications for projects to address radicalization to violence

• Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence
• Community Resilience Fund
• The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies
• Extremism and Gaming Research Network

SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada