Crisis and Loss of Control: German-Language Digital Extremism in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Why it matters

This report analyses the networks and narratives of German-speaking far-right, far-left and Islamist extremist actors on mainstream and alternative social media platforms and extremist websites in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results show: Extremists from Germany, Austria and Switzerland have been able to increase their reach since the introduction of the lockdown measures.

The report shows that extremists interpret the COVID-19 pandemic along pre-existing ideological patterns, cling to narratives and enemy images and link these to the current crisis topic. Thus, right-wing extremists use the crisis to mobilise against minorities and the government, left-wing extremists place the pandemic in an economic and anti-capitalist context, and Islamist extremists interpret the crisis primarily along religious lines.

However, this growth is not evenly distributed across the different ideologies and platforms. In the course of the crisis, far-right extremists gained more followers than far-left and Islamist extremists. Especially on alternative platforms such as Telegram, the channels of right-wing extremist conspiracy theorists grew, in particular in the two months immediately following the introduction of lockdown measures.

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Institute for Strategic Dialogue, December 2020

What we do

We partner with city officials to establish local risk assessments and design action plans and programmatic responses. From de-radicalisation programming to youth engagement strategies, we ensure that local responses address local needs.

Working from the ground up, we establish local coordination bodies that unite city halls, civil society educators, public health bodies, the private sector and faith leaders to identify and address community tensions. We base our success on harnessing existing and credible institutions, from social services to traditional civic infrastructure.

We galvanise mayors, city officials, local services, communities and youth, training them to play active roles in diagnosing and responding to local risk factors, creating an international repository of best practice approaches.

We help members access the latest research and best practice from across the network through our SCN Online Hub, which features stories, interviews, guides and training modules for teachers, city officials and civil society. Our SCN Hate and Extremism Mapper provides members with data, building digital observatories that correlate online risks with offline behaviour.

We act as a bridge, creating stronger working relationships between local and national governments. We also provide civil society with the knowledge, skills and resources to foster meaningful partnerships with officials in city halls.