Right-wing extremist eco-systems driving hate speech: dissemination and recruitment strategies

ended

Hate speech has been on a constant rise in the German-speaking online community over the past years, especially since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The specific objectives of the project “RECO-DAR” are to: • map German-speaking right-wing extremist eco-systems spreading violent hate speech across a web of social media platforms, focusing on platforms more popular with younger audiences (TikTok, Discord, etc.); • map links (interconnections) between platforms and content; • investigate the progression of hate speech on platforms; • generate insights about the proliferation of hate speech that will aid the development of new counter strategies and alternative; narratives, specifically on these less-studied platforms. To achieve the project’s objectives, the approach consists of several pillars: (1) Defining indicators of hate speech on social media platforms and mapping their manifestations by units of analysis; (2) Utilising cutting-edge technological solutions to systematically record and classify hate speech by right-wing extremists; (3) Mapping the eco-systems of German-speaking right-wing extremism driving hate speech across platforms, in particular by tracing the flow of links; (4) Assessing the various strategies of disseminating hate speech, including across platforms, as well as related recruitment strategies; (5) Content analyses focusing on the progression of the levels of extremity as a consequence of linkages. Through its products and dissemination, the project will have a direct and tangible impact on the work of public authorities, social media companies, academia, and practitioners engaged in preventing and countering hate speech by providing: increased knowledge on hate speech online and indicators to identify and report hate speech and to create effective counter-narratives; contribute to strengthened cooperation among the stakeholders and increased awareness of hate speech online.