Zur Bedeutung von Dark Social & Deplatforming

Eine quantitative Exploration der deutschsprachigen Rechtsaußenszene auf "Telegram"

Abstract

With the increase in hate speech and extremist content online, the pressu­re on social media platform operators to track and delete the content in question is also increasing. The term ‘deplatforming’ usually refers to the deletion of groups or accounts by platform operators, but it can also include the deletion of specific contents or whole websites on the part of the hosting service. In the wake of recent deplatforming actions, far-right activists emphatically called for switching to Telegram and joining their res­pective groups and channels. Whereas the few published analyses on deplatforming and Telegram mainly consider English-language or international networks, this study focuses on the German-speaking far-right scene. Based on an exploratory, descripti­ve analysis, the present article looks at the significance of Telegram for the German-speaking far-right scene. The longitudinal analysis of 259 Telegram channels and groups examines the presence of the far-right scene on Telegram, which websites are espe­cially significant for far-right activists, and to what extent recent deplatforming actions are reflected in users’ behavior on Telegram. Overall, it can be concluded that Tele­gram is currently one of the most important online communication channels for the German-speaking far-right scene, due to its high level of anonymity and low deplatfor­ming activities. There was an enormous increase in the activities and presence of far-right channels and groups from 2016 to 2020. In 2020, above all, both the frequency and reach of posts rose almost exponentially. The high volume of YouTube and Twitter links shows that major platforms continue to have key significance for far-right strate­gic communication in terms of recruitment, mobilization, and financing. Hence, deplat­forming – despite the existence of Telegram as a ‘safe haven’ – is an essential mea­sure for limiting the range of impact of extremist movements, as well as minimizing the distribution of and unwanted exposure to extremist narratives and keeping the extre­mist online presence marginal.