Uncovering the Far-Right Online Ecosystem: An Analytical Framework and Research Agenda
Stéphane J. Baele, Lewys Brace, Travis Coan
Abstract
Abstract Recent years have seen a substantial increase in far-right inspired attacks. In this context, the present article offers an analytical framework for the study of right-wing extremists’ multifaceted and fast-growing activity on the Internet. Specifically, we conceptualize the far-right online presence as a dynamic ecosystem, teasing out four major components that correspond to the different levels of analysis available to future research. We illustrate the benefits of this framework with key illustrative examples from the English-, French-, and German- speaking far-right, revealing the worrying size and breadth – but also heterogeneity – of today’s far-right online ecosystem.
Topics & Concepts
Far rightGermanContext (archaeology)Key (lock)The InternetEcosystemPsychologyComputer scienceData sciencePolitical scienceWorld Wide WebGeographyComputer securityEcologyPoliticsLawArchaeologyBiologyHate Speech and Cyberbullying DetectionTerrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political ViolenceIslamic Studies and Radicalism