The report sheds light on the current challenges posed (digitally) by the extreme right in the context of the Corona crisis and the Bundestag elections in 2021. It brings together key findings from research on right-wing extremism with platform governance research and identifies possibilities for countering these challenges.
Part I of the report elaborates how communication on the internet by the extreme right and its potential for violence influence the democratic decision-making process. Subsequently, current developments and points of tension are presented, especially with regard to the Corona crisis and the 2021 Bundestag election campaign. Crises as a space of opportunities for communication of the extreme right, the rise of alternative platforms, the increasing relevance of infrastructure providers in content moderation and the insufficient access to data for researchers will be addressed.
Building on this, Part II locates the challenges posed by (digital) right-wing extremism in the research field of platform governance. Fundamental criteria for the development and implementation of an appropriate regulatory framework will be identified as well as possible measures and interventions for dealing with the phenomenon. These include strengthening transparency, strengthening democratic narratives and actors, and reducing the visibility of extreme right-wing narratives and actors.
Rau, Jan; Kero, Sandra; Hofmann, Vincent; Dinar, Christina; Heldt, Amélie Pia (2022): Rechtsextreme Online-Kommunikation in Krisenzeiten. Herausforderungen und Interventionsmöglichkeiten aus Sicht der Rechtsextremismus- und Platform-Governance-Forschung [Online-Communication of the Extreme Right in Times of Crisis? Challenges and Opportunities for Intervention from the Perspective of Right-Wing Extremism and Platform Governance Research]. Hamburg: Hans-Bredow-Institut, March 2022 (Working Papers of the Hans-Bredow-Institut | FGZ Findings No. 62) (pdf)
