Exploring the Far Right Online Ecosystem

An increasing threat from Far Right movements has emerged globally, particularly since the attacks in Christchurch in 2019. As a result, there is a much greater awareness of the extent to which extremist influencers use social media and video sharing platforms to engage and radicalise a much wider audience, normalising hate content, and inciting or publicising acts of violence. As the ideologies of these movements have spread online, there is increasing pressure by policy makers on platforms, for example, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook to counter extremist content. This has led to increased use of countermeasures such as account closures, which in turn has resulted in heightened demand for alternative platforms. These include platforms set up by Far Right sympathisers, often referred to as “alt-tech”, that promise freedom of speech and an implied protection from interference by authorities. It also encompasses platforms that have mainstream usage but have been co-opted by Far Right groups and individuals usually in recognition of their laissez-faire or non-interventionist approach to extreme content. Various techniques to avoid increasing levels of regulatory interventions are used by Far Right extremists, including linking from less extreme mainstream content to more extreme content on alternative platforms. This emerging ecosystem of websites, web services and social media platforms is challenging to regulate. The global COVID-19 pandemic also provided an unexpected and unprecedented opportunity to attract a wider range of mainstream users to alternative platforms. This research involves mapping a Far Right online ecosystem over an extended period. A key aim is to establish which platforms may prove attractive to Far Right extremists and how these choices might impact their strategies for radicalising others, inciting violence and spreading disinformation. This added clarity on how the Far Right are using the online space will help to inform technical and policy measures to address its harmful usage.