EU IRU Transparency Report 2021

This is the fifth edition of the European Union Internet Referral Unit (EU IRU) transparency report. The report is a factual snapshot of the EU IRU’s activities in 2021, which aim to keep online spaces safe. This includes the sum of the Unit’s activities aiming at reducing public accessibility to online propaganda produced by terrorist organisations. 

The EU IRU was founded in 2015 in order to reduce the level and impact of online content promoting terrorism or violent extremism. It is part of Europol’s European Counter Terrorism Centre, and its role is to monitor terrorist and extremist content online. The EU IRU also supports Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre by flagging detected internet content used by traffickers to offer smuggling services to migrants and refugees. 

The IRU’s work is important for understanding the latest trends relating to terrorist and extremist content, as well as the ideologies behind it. The information and services it provides competent authorities with is an essential aspect of modern policing, and extends further to referrals and public-private partnerships that combat the dissemination of terrorist content online.

Cite this publication: Europol (2022), 2021 EU IRU Transparency Report, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.