A digital token created by a Daesh supporter which praised the group’s attack on a Taliban convoy was spotted across several NFT platforms Experts warn it is an experiment to test a new propaganda outreach and funding strategy for Daesh LONDON: Terrorism and intelligence experts have warned that Daesh may be looking to the non-fungible token market to spread its propaganda after a digital announcement praising Daesh for an attack on a Taliban convoy was spotted on various NFT platforms. The news was received with great concern as experts worry that, due to the nature of blockchain, the technology could be exploited by Daesh to help spread terrorist messages and propaganda. The NFT, according to intelligence analysts, might be an indication that Daesh and other terror organizations are also embracing blockchain technology to avoid sanctions and generate cash for their endeavors. “Ever since I noticed in 2016 that there were efforts in the crypto space to enable media to be published on blockchains, I felt that terrorist groups would eventually use that capability to post messages and media,” Yaya Fanusie, a former economic and counterterrorism analyst at the CIA, told Arab News. “It was only a matter of time.” NFTs are digital items that belong to the person that purchases them, with the record of purchase kept on an unalterable public ledger, the blockchain. Although transactions can be traced, they are characterized by being irreversible and people who trade often use pseudonyms. The NFT, titled “IS-NEWS #01” was first spotted by Raphael Gluck, co-founder of Jihadoscope, a company that monitors jihadist activity across the web and social media, who found the NFT through pro-ISIS social media accounts. ‘IS-NEWS #01’ was created by a supporter of the group and contains a message that praises Afghanistan-based Islamic militants for attacking a Taliban position in Kabul. The supporter created two other NFTs, one of which shows a technician in a lab suit and gas mask, which experts believed could be a Daesh fighter teaching students to make explosives. US intelligence officials argue that it “is an experiment to test a new outreach and funding strategy for Daesh”, with analysts believing the three NFTs are an attempt by Daesh supporters to see whether NFT marketplaces would ban or limit the content’s availability. “It’s very much an experiment … to find ways to make content indestructible,” said Gluck. Although not available to purchase, the three digital tokens were posted across several NFT platforms including Rarible and OpenSea, before being taken down. Marketplace OpenSea swiftly removed the digital collectibles and closed the creator’s account. The company later issued a statement saying the platform has a “zero-tolerance policy on inciting hate and violence.” However, the NFTs are still available on a platform called IPFS, a peer-to-peer network designed to store and retrieve data across the internet, making it almost impossible to eliminate completely from the Internet. “There’s not really anything anyone can do to actually take this NFT down,” said blockchain analyst Mario Cosby. “It’s as censorship-proof as you can get.” Militant organizations in the region have struggled to maintain a reliable source of income, which caused these groups to focus their operations on spreading internet misinformation and campaigns to fuel their fundraising efforts. New technologies such as NFTs and blockchain have been at the center of numerous criticisms because of their low-security level and experts have previously flagged their concern about their potential abuse by terrorist organizations and other criminal groups.