Chapter 6: Weaponizing Online Spaces
Summary
This chapter discusses the ways in which the far-right has used online spaces. A particularly important point is that radicalization rarely happens solely online, and instead the far-right relies on a combination of online and in real life activities that help circulate, communicate, and amplify their ideologies. It should also be noted that the fluid and quickly evolving nature of online spaces means that far-right tools, strategies, and the broad ecosystem will constantly change.
The far-right online and off-line environments intersect, and the spaces and places mentioned in previous chapters rely on digital communication and online technology. Just as ordinary citizens connect and communicate online, so too does the far-right. And while some efforts at de-platforming and banning have been taken, these processes are complex.
The far-right uses their online spaces to expose people to their ideologies and to amplify their beliefs and actions. New media platforms, including social media, gaming platforms, crowdfunding, content-sharing and streaming sites, have dramatically increased the ability of the far-right to spread their propaganda and communicate. Algorithms that assist in internet searches, recommending content, products, and people, have the possibility of a “system driven promotion” of far-right content (p.149). Individuals may also end up in echo chambers where they rarely if ever hear any contradictory views, or with filter bubbles which limit the perspectives/content/merchandise that individuals are exposed to.
Weaponizing humor is a particular focus of the far-right, and one of the difficulties in addressing this any symbol must be understood in the context within which it appears. A second difficulty in addressing this is the relatively shallow knowledge that individuals may have about the history or intent of a symbol, joke, or meme, and therefore may share material that has unintended meanings. A third difficulty is that some individuals, particularly disaffected young white men, might see the racist, misogynistic, or anti-Semitic content as “edgy” or “rebellious” and part of a “counterculture” that may provide them a feeling of power, supremacy, and comradery that they feel that they lack elsewhere.
The chapter discusses how far-right groups and individuals connect online. This includes a discussion of the way new media allows the far-right to build resources, share training and experiences, and to build global networks. The far-right has also used new media to create fake videos and promote false news stories. Communication and mobilization to violence by the far-right have also been facilitated by their use of new media.
The chapter concludes with a discussion of some of the potential difficulties of addressing the impact of new media on the growth of the far right and offers some suggestions for intervening in online spaces. It is important to note that there is always an intersection of online and off-line worlds, and researchers and interested individuals should not focus solely on the misnomer of “online radicalization” (p.159). Of particular importance is improving all individuals’ media literacy, particularly regarding issues like disinformation and conspiracy theories.
Comprehension Questions
1. Why does the author suggest that radicalization rarely happens only or primarily in fully isolated, online domains?
2. How do the spaces and places of previous chapters (food and merchandise, MMA and combat tournaments, far-right co-option of reputable scholarship) rely on digital communication and online technology?
3. Why are de-platforming and banning more complex than most people realize?
4. What are the two ways in which the new modes of communication have fueled far-right growth?
5. What does the author mean by “algorithmic radicalization?”
6. The author argues that symbols can only be understood in the context of their usage – what does this mean?
7. How does the far-right use online spaces for networking, building resources, and sharing lessons?
Discussion Questions
1. What information is new to you?
2. Discuss individual experiences with the online environment – have you ever come across far-right content online? If so, where?
3. Have you ever been surprised or upset by online recommendations – for products, content, for search ideas? If so, how did you address this concern? What avenues have you taken to ensure that you get recommendations that suit you?
4. The author argues that symbols can only be understood in the context of their usage – what are some tools to determine the context of a symbol’s usage? Why might determining context be difficult, and how can this be addressed?
5. How can individuals, groups, organizations work towards the goals of creating policies and programs that focus on improved media literacy, and what tools can be developed to determine if the policies are encouraging individuals to change their behavior due to interventions?