An investigation released last weekend by the Associated Press detailed the
Counter Extremism Project (CEP)’s research on far-right extremist entities


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Tech & Terrorism: AP Investigation & CEP Research Finds Neo-Nazis Remain On
Social Media

 

(New York, N.Y.) — An investigation released last weekend by the Associated
Press
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detailed the Counter Extremism Project (CEP)’s research on far-right extremist
entities on social media in Germany, which found that the groups still
maintained a presence on popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
and YouTube. A majority of their accounts were “explicitly aimed at making
money, displaying prominent links to online shops or photos promoting
merchandise.”

 

Since then, the AP article and CEP’s study have also been picked up by other
prominent outlets such asThe Washington Post
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,ABC News
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,New York Post
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,Philadelphia Inquirer
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,Yahoo! News
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Miami Herald <[link removed]>, Detroit
News
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, andU.S. News & World Report
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.

 

CEP identified 54 Facebook profiles—totaling nearly 268,000 subscribers and
friends—belonging to 39 entities that the German government and civil society
have flagged as extremist. CEP also found 39 related Instagram accounts, 16
Twitter profiles, and 34 YouTube channels with more than 9.5 million views.

 

Speaking on the extremist entities, CEP Senior Advisor and lead researcher on
the project Alexander Ritzmann stated,“They are the ones who build the
infrastructure where people, meet, make money, enjoy music and recruit. It’s
most likely not the guys I’ve highlighted who will commit violent crimes.
They’re too smart. They build the narrative and foster the activities of this
milieu where violence then appears.”

 

One example involved Kampf der Nibelungen‘s (Battle of the Nibelungs) presence
on Facebook. Despite German authorities having previously twice banned the
group’s martial arts tournament, the group has still been able to use the
platform to “draw in recruits and make money through ticket sales and branded
merchandise.” Other examples listed by the AP include:

* Click on the big blue “view shop” button on the Erik & Sons Facebook page
and you can buy a T-shirt that says, “My favorite color is white” for 20 euros
($23).
* Deutsches Warenhaus offers “Refugees not welcome” stickers for just 2.50
euros ($3) and Aryan Brotherhood tube scarves with skull faces for 5.88 euros
($7).
* The Facebook feed of OPOS Records promotes new music and merchandise,
including “True Aggression,” “Pride & Dignity,” and “One Family” T-shirts. The
brand, which stands for “One People One Struggle,” also links to its online
shop from Twitter and Instagram.
Though these groups’ activities do not appear to be illegal, they are
associated with wanting to “overthrow liberal democratic institutions and norms
such as freedom of the press, protection of minorities and universal human
dignity, and believe that the white race is under siege and needs to be
preserved, with violence if necessary”—potentially violating Facebook policies
that prohibit “‘dangerous individuals and organizations’ that advocate or
engage in violence online or offline.”

 

Daniel Holzagel, a Berlin judge that worked on hate speech issues and
contributed to CEP’s research, touched on the matter and stated, “If you do
something wrong on the platform, it’s easier for a platform to justify an
account suspension than to just throw someone out because of their ideology.
That would be more difficult with respect to human rights. It’s a foundation of
our Western society and human rights that our legal regimes do not sanction an
idea, an ideology, a thought.”

 

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