At the EU Internet Forum Technical Meeting on Terrorist and Violent Extremist Financing Activities Online II on September 10, 2024, Dr. Annett Heft (Freie Universität and Weizenbaum Institute) presented the European Violent Right-Wing Extremism Monitoring Project (EVREM) and shared key findings on funding trends in the far-right sector.
The EU Internet Forum gathered EUIF members, financial service providers, Financial Intelligence Units, and Europol’s EFECC to address the challenges of terrorist and violent extremist (TVE) financing. Discussions emphasized the need for cooperation between financial institutions and online service providers to develop robust Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policies. Participants explored best practices, identified gaps, and proposed follow-up actions to strengthen cross-sector collaboration in preventing TVE financing.
On behalf of the whole EVREM research team, Dr. Annett Heft introduced the project, which aims to support internet companies and EU Member States by identifying violent right-wing extremist (VRWE) organizations, analyzing their digital discourse, and tracking their financing trends. The project also catalogs VRWE manifestos and terminology while establishing a methodology for long-term monitoring, thus contributing to efforts to disrupt illegal financial transactions and the sale of extremist merchandise.