This analysis by ISD shows how extremist websites rely on open source tools and services to evade moderation for hate speech, incitements to violence or other content policy violations. While this presents a challenge, it also creates an opportunity to move beyond simplistic models of content moderation to responses driven by open source communities themselves.
ISD discovered that content which expresses support for extreme right wing ideologies can be discovered on Twitch with relative ease, for example, through the practice of “Omegle Redpilling.” However, these videos are probably better considered as sporadic examples rather than representative of the systemic use of Twitch by the extreme right for radicalisation and coordination.
This research examined how TikTok is used to promote white supremacist conspiracy theories, produce weapons manufacturing advice, glorify extremists, terrorists, fascists and dictators, direct targeted harassment against minorities and produce content that denies that violent events like genocides ever happened. Furthermore, the report includes analysis of how users seek to evade takedowns by TikTok.
This report documents the second-year findings of a study by researchers at ISD which tracks the online ecosystems used by right-wing extremists (RWE) in Canada. This work is delivered in the context of a larger study into Canadian RWE, led by a team of researchers at Ontario Tech University (OTU) in partnership with Michigan State University and the University of New Brunswick.
ISD found that a wide range of extremist influencers, including British white nationalists, use DLive as part of a broader strategy to broadcast extreme right ideology online. Analysts also observed signs that efforts by DLive to implement more robust terms of service appear to be having an impact on extremist activity.
ISD found that the Discord platform primarily acts as a hub for extreme right-wing socialising and community building, as well as gamified harassment through ‘raids.’ The analysis suggests that Discord provides a safe space for young online users to share ideological material and explore extremist movements.
This chapter analyses 45 interconnected Steam community groups associated with the extreme right. ISD found Steam to host the most diverse subgroups of extreme right communities, ranging from public servers set up for supporters of far-right political parties to violent neo-Nazi groups, some active on the platform since 2016.
This report serves as an introduction to ISD's Gaming and Extremism series, which explores the use of the gaming-related platforms Steam, Discord, Twitch and DLive by the extreme right, concentrating specifically on the UK. The series provides snapshot analyses designed to identify key trends and patterns which can provide the groundwork for future analysis.
The issue of public health measures has become a gateway and incubator for conspiracy theorists, far-right extremists and anti-vaxxers. This report by ISD Germany offers for the first time a comprehensive insight into the online networks of the vaccine-sceptic scene in Germany.
This report provides a snapshot of the different online communities involved in the promotion of hate and disinformation targeting refugees and the migration sector in 2020. It looks at networks of accounts in Greek, German and English language, and provides an overview of the narratives employed in anti-refugee disinformation and the dynamics which drive this activity online.
