Roblox Radical Overnight AFP Warning: Teens Radicalized in Weeks
The Australian Federal Police is urging parents and teachers to watch for signs of youth radicalization, saying some teenagers are moving toward violence in weeks rather than months or years. Counter-terrorism commander Paula Hudson also backed proposed digital safety rules for social media platforms.
The Australian Federal Police is urging parents and teachers to watch for signs of youth radicalization, as counter-terrorism commander Paula Hudson says some teenagers are moving toward violence in weeks rather than months or years. Her warning names Roblox, Discord and Telegram, as well as TikTok and Instagram when teens encounter extreme content there.
Hudson said 32 of the 37 minors charged with terror offenses in the past four years were caught in the past two years. She described the trend as part of a wider shift in youth radicalization.
“We really are wanting to put out an urgent call for action and have that confronting conversation to say we’ve got a problem. We need to come together as a society to help course-correct,” Hudson said.
Signs parents and teachers can watch for
Police research cited by Hudson found that children vulnerable to extremism often face instability at home or school. She urged adults to look for social withdrawal, excessive time on gaming and social platforms, and increasingly hateful views.
Hudson said the named platforms are not automatically warning signs. TikTok and Instagram could also become a concern if a teenager has entered a dark corner of extreme content.
“It’s a call to action for parents, educators, and other community organisations. People need to know the signs of radicalisation and then have the conversations,” she said.
Hudson also said cost-of-living stress was combining with what she described as a crisis of identity and belonging among teenagers. She urged young Australians to seek guidance from trusted adults rather than AI chatbots.
AFP backs proposed platform rules
The AFP has backed Labor’s proposed digital duty of care, which could impose large fines on platforms that fail to police dangerous content. Hudson said the proposal could improve social media safety while half of the cohort charged with possessing violent extremist material consists of teenagers who often spend extensive time online.
Hudson said the AFP had been meeting major technology companies to “build in safety” to platforms, rather than relying on the current system of responding to individual reports. She also said a proposed tool allowing users to opt in to algorithmic suggestions could help clean up social media feeds.
Labor hopes to pass the digital duty proposal in the last parliamentary week of the year with support from the Greens. The Coalition has objected to the plan.
The AFP warning comes as the force says online radicalization has changed the nature of the threat. Hudson said ISIS now seeks to radicalize young people online to carry out attacks in Western countries, rather than Australians traveling to join the caliphate, as they did a decade ago.
“People are angry out there. They’re more willing to express that anger, more willing to mobilise towards violence,” Hudson said.
