Dutch prosecutors announced on Tuesday that 15 individuals were arrested on suspicion of spreading Islamic State (ISIS) propaganda on TikTok and attempting to recruit others for terrorist acts, Reuters reported.
The arrests followed an investigation into a TikTok account that posted extensive ISIS propaganda with Dutch subtitles. Prosecutors said some of the posts had garnered more than 100,000 views, with content encouraging viewers to join ISIS and to glorify martyrdom for the group.
Among the arrested suspects, 13 are Syrian nationals, and four are Dutch citizens, some of whom are believed to be dual nationals. Four of the suspects are minors, and they range in age from 16 to 53.
The arrests took place across multiple locations in the Netherlands after the capture of a primary suspect last month, according to Reuters.
Prosecutors did not provide further details about the investigation but emphasized that TikTok, owned by China’s Bytedance, has become a platform for spreading extremist ideologies.
In December, Dutch authorities arrested a 29-year-old Syrian man suspected of belonging to ISIS and planning an attack in Europe.
According to prosecutors, the Dutch intelligence agency AIVD uncovered social media posts in which the suspect allegedly threatened to carry out an attack at an unspecified location in Europe around the Christmas holiday.
In October, Dutch authorities detained a 25-year-old man after he issued violent threats against politicians in a livestreamed TikTok video that was widely circulated online, specifically naming right-wing politician Geert Wilders.
In the video, the man threatened to go to parliament “with an axe" and declared that “heads will roll," adding that he “might (start) with Geertje," using a nickname for Wilders.