NEW RESEARCH: Recommendations to curb harmful far-right online activity
CRIS ‘Dynamics of Violent Extremism’ researchers published their final summary report of the ‘Symbiotic Radicalisation’ project after two years of analysis on how the far-right and far-left use three social media platforms for online political activity. Dr Mario Peucker (Victoria University), Jacob Davey (Institute for Strategic Dialogue), and Cécile Simmons (Institute for Strategic Dialogue), summarise their analysis of over 400,000 tweets and 70,000 posts from political fringe groups in Australia and recommend new approaches for policymakers, practitioners, and law enforcement to respond to far-right online mobilisation.
The team found that the far-right and the far-left mobilise in response to similar national and international events and crises but are also motivated by activity on ‘the other side’. However, the report suggests that only the far-right poses a substantial threat of violence in Australia in the current environment.
Far-right actors use mainstream social media sites Facebook and Twitter to promote violence, dehumanisation and harassment against marginalised communities and political opponents. Threats are particularly explicit on Gab, an alternative alt-tech platform known for its far-right network, but the prevalence of hate speech on all social networks studied shows the need for broad policy reform.
The researchers recommend holding social media companies accountable for business models and algorithms that spread harmful content rather than removing individual posts and accounts. They advise testing and strengthening flexible online interventions for people at risk of radicalisation, including those motivated by conspiracy theories, and recommend flexible monitoring efforts of socially harmful mobilisation of political fringes.
“Dehumanising language, socially harmful conspiracy narratives and threats of violence against their ‘enemy’ are common features in far-right social media spaces, both mainstream and alt-tech”, said Dr Mario Peucker.
“This cultivates a climate of hatred and can fuel a sense of urgency among these online communities to act also in the offline world. The far-right threat environment is in constant flux and targets may shift over time, but what remains is the risk of causing serious social harm such as the recent anti-vaccine disinformation message.
“It will need targeted, responsive and concerted actions by many stakeholders – from policymakers and law enforcement to social media companies and civil society – to tackle these far-right threats and to ensure community safety.”
Read the recommendations in full