Terrorist Financing and Social Media

On 26 November 2025, Project CRAAFT convened a high-level in-person workshop in London titled Terrorist Financing and Social Media, supported by the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme. The event brought together policymakers, law enforcement, industry and researchers to assess how terrorist groups are exploiting social media platforms for financing purposes – an ongoing blind spot to mitigate in CTF regulatory responses.

Three key pillars of social media abuse for terrorist financing emerged:

• Directing: Designated groups use social media to signpost fundraising opportunities, such as links to crypto wallets and crowdfunding platforms.

• Receiving: Payment-enabled social media services are exploited to solicit and process funds, including via livestream donations.

• Supporting: Terrorist-operated websites shared on social media provide financial instructions and paid-for services, often overlooked by online safety regulations.

Gaps in regulation, platform controls and awareness of legal obligations have led TF abuse on social media to grow and remain unaddressed.