Fourteen youngsters, many of them minors, were arrested on Tuesday for inciting others to become involved in terrorism, the public prosecution department said in a short statement.

The youngsters, aged 14 to 30, used the social media platform TikTok to try to encourage others to carry out terrorist acts.

They were arrested in a joint investigation by police across the country, including in The Hague, Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

Police said it is unclear whether the group knew each other or only had contact via TikTok. They have not said if the youngsters were spreading jihadist or extreme right-wing ideas, citing “the interests of the investigation”.

The arrests come amid growing concerns about the role of social media platforms in facilitating the spread of extremist content.

Europol and TikTok have previously collaborated to bolster efforts against terrorist content on the platform, highlighting the ongoing challenges in monitoring and removing such material.