Explainers

The Proud Boys are an US-based political activist group that subscribes to a self-described “Western chauvinist” worldview that claims the inherent superiority of Western societies over all others.

764 is a network of online groups that engage in sextortion and the glorification of violence.

The Goyim Defense League is a neo-Nazi network promoting antisemitism, white supremacy and harassment through protests, flyers and online abuse.

This Explainer outlines definitional considerations around far-left extremism, drawing a key distinction between the radical left and left-wing extremism, and highlights harm areas associated with the broader far left.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a proscribed Islamist group, pursues nationalist jihad, distinct from IS and al-Qaeda's global caliphate ambitions.

The Aryan Freedom Network (AFN) is a nationwide neo-Nazi organization in the US that embraces antisemitic, racist and national socialist ideas.

This Explainer distinguishes between lawful militia beliefs and unlawful paramilitary actions, aiding legal assessment of militia activity in anti-government movements.

‘Targeted individuals’ (TIs) are those who believe they are victims of gangstalking by adversaries, often claiming government involvement. Since 2013, TIs have committed at least four mass shootings.

This Explainer covers the EU's Digital Services Act, focusing on its impact on ISD's efforts against election risks, terrorism, extremism & tech accountability.

'Antifa' groups operate in a mostly decentralized way but share a belief that they're resisting fascist ideology, primarily through protests and counterdemonstrations against far-right extremism, utilizing tactics such as doxxing, and at times criminal activity.

'Neo-Confederate' refers to individuals or groups echoing US Confederate beliefs, emphasizing states' rights & heritage preservation, with some overlap with white supremacist ideologies.

‘Saints Culture’ is an extremist trend prevalent amongst the white supremacist movement whereby individuals who have committed extreme acts of hate-motivated violence are revered as saints.

The "Saints Culture" within the white supremacist movement glorifies individuals who commit hate-motivated violence, a phenomenon revitalised in online spaces.

This article provides an explainer of Hizb ut-Tahrir to contextualise the group’s activities and ideologies and its recent proscribing as a terrorist organisation in the UK.

Northern Ireland Related Terrorism (NIRT) is an often-overlooked aspect of the broader terrorism landscape in the United Kingdom yet remains a persistent and uniquely challenging threat.

Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate involve dehumanizing, expressing contempt, demonizing, harassing, threatening or inciting violence based on an individual or community's Muslim identity (or perceived identity).

Salafism has proven attractive to Gen Z Muslims as an emerging youth counterculture. Its black-and-white views, rules-based value system, strong group identity, and provocative contrasts to the orthodoxies of the Islamic establishment resonate with this younger generation.

Rumble ist eine Videoplattform, die sich als YouTube-Alternative sieht und wegen ihrer undurchsichtigen Moderationspraxis bei Rechtsextremen beliebt ist

The video platform Rumble describes itself as a “free speech alternative” to the "Big Tech Giants”. In its quest to create a so-called 'new internet' it has attracted mainly right-wing, and sometimes extremist creators and audiences.

The 'Public Health' model is a holistic approach to preventing violent extremism and targeted violence that seeks to build thriving communities and individuals resilient to violence.

In the US, Moorish sovereign citizens are Black adherents who identify as Moors that believe they are above the rule of law because of historical ties to Morocco.

Transparency in the context of data access helps build trust, increases accountability between various stakeholders, and is crucial in gathering evidence to better inform debates and create effective change.

Far-left antisemitism has a long history and its impact continues to be felt today.

Ensuring public interest researchers have meaningful data access is important for evidence gathering, decision-making & platform accountability. What do we mean by data access? Read about it in our Explainer.

Hindutva or Hindu nationalism, bears resemblance to European right-wing extremism, and has led to the harassment of minorities (Christians, Muslims, etc.) and even put interfaith couples in the crosshairs.

Disinformation-for-profit is an industry and business model that pushes conspiracies and polarising narratives to generate revenue.

While Discord has primarily been a space marketed to gamers, over the years there have been multiple instances of extremist activity on the platform.

This Explainer provides an overview of COVID-19 anti-vaccine conspiracy narratives.

Patriot Front is a white supremacist organisation that aims to restore and reshape American society along the lines of perceived post-revolutionary traditions and virtues.

Misconceptions around the ‘Great Reset’, a World Economic Forum (WEF) initiative launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, have become a mainstay of conspiracy thinking in recent years.

The term ‘climate lockdown’ refers to a conspiratorial narrative which claims that global elites are using climate change as a pretext to restrict individual freedoms and civil liberties.

This Explainer provides an overview of the use of internet memes by the extreme right wing.

The “white genocide” conspiracy theory holds that there is a deliberate plot, masterminded by the Jewish people, to erase whiteness, white culture and white civilisation.

A plain blue background with the text 'The 'Groomer' slur', underneath which is text reading 'A topic explainer produced by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue'

The term 'Groomer' attempts to link LGBTQ+ people to pedophilia and prevent LGBTQ+ rights being enshrined in law or taught in schools.

The Groyper movement is a loose network of white nationalist activists and internet trolls who gravitate around several key online influencers.

Die Reichsbürger sind eine extremistische deutsche Bewegung, deren Ideologiedurch die gemeinsame Überzeugung geeint ist, dass die Bundesrepublik Deutschland kein legitimer, souveräner Staat ist und die vom deutschen Staat verabschiedeten Gesetze und Regeln daher nicht verbindlich sind.

The Reichsbürger movement is a German conspiracy movement similar to Sovereign Citizens, claiming that the German state is illegitimate and must be resisted.

The Boogaloo movement is an anti-government, anti-law enforcement extremist militia movement that believes the state places too many limitations on individual liberty, and that a second civil war is necessary to push back against these intrusions.

The Sovereign Citizens movement is a heterogenous anti-government ideology that originated in the US, and adherents are united in their belief that the US government illegitimately rules over them.

An Incel ("involuntary celibate") is a member of an online subculture of people whose sense of identity is forged around a perceived inability to form sexual or romantic relationships. Incel ideology is violent, rooted in the hatred of women, and forms part of what has been dubbed the “manosphere”.

The “manosphere” is an umbrella term that refers to a number of interconnected misogynistic communities. This ISD Explainer explores the more extreme and divisive proponents of these online communities.

The 'New World Order' conspiracy theory argues that a shadowy elite force is trying to implement a totalitarian world government.

Accelerationism is an ideology focussed on the need for societal collapse to preserve the white race against threats like multiculturalism and immigration. The term is used by extremist and white supremacist groups.

The 'Great Replacement' conspiracy theory claims that Western and majority white countries are under threat from immigration and birth rates. It has inspired multiple terror attacks including the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings.

A decentralised, Satanist, neo-Nazi organization that has spread and become increasingly influential among accelerationist neo-Nazi groups in recent years.