The German far-right scene on Instagram – a threat to democracy?

Research shows how the far-right scene uses Instagram to its own advantage and to spread propaganda. But what does this mean for democracy?

A post by Lisa Merz and Nele Hardt

Monday, 9 August 2021

Instagram is number one

The results of the ARD/ZDF online study 2020 are quite conclusive: Facebook was overtaken by Instagram in terms of daily usage for the first time last year, with 15 per cent of the population using Instagram daily (2019: 13 per cent). Facebook, on the other hand, saw a significant drop of 21 per cent compared with 2019. The study showed that among people under 30, Instagram usage (65 per cent) is far ahead of other social media platforms.

This means that Instagram plays a crucial role in the communication and dissemination of a wide range of content – from fashion, lifestyle and beauty, but also, increasingly, political content – and is therefore also a target for the far-right scene and related movements such as the “Identitäre Bewegung” (IB) or the youth organisation “Junge Alternative” (JA) of the right-wing populist party “Alternative für Deutschland”. According to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the IB is a “confirmed right-wing extremist organisation”, whilst the Junge Alternative has been classified as a “suspicious case” of an extremist organisation since January 2019 and is therefore also under observation. What both have in common is that these actors have a strong presence on social media, but their networks and mechanisms have not yet been researched in detail.

Correctiv and their research project

The research centre Correctiv addressed this issue in its research project “Kein Filter für Rechts” – a detailed analysis of how the far-right scene uses Instagram to recruit young people in particular. The main questions were: Who interacts with whom? What are the most popular hashtags and identifiers used by right-wing extremists, and how are political topics discussed and debates influenced? One of the key challenges was that Instagram prevents third parties from accessing the data on the platform. To gain an insight into the world of the right-wing and right-wing extremists on Instagram, the research team had to set up their own Instagram profile under a fake name.

Using the snowball method, they collected a sample of 4,501 accounts and gained numerous insights into various aspects:

• How thousands of right-wingers exploit Instagram’s vulnerabilities
• How right-wingers use Instagram to make money
• The hashtags, emojis and codes used by the right-wing scene on Instagram
• The AfD and its links to right-wing extremists
• Right-wing memes: modern propaganda on Instagram

Their findings reveal how the German right-wing movement has built a vast network on Instagram centred around the AfD party. They also examine how the movement exploits the platform’s weaknesses and its algorithm.

Over time, the movement has developed various strategies for spreading seemingly harmless images and hashtags for propaganda purposes and even for financial gain. But whilst Correctiv was able to identify these structures through extensive research, Instagram itself is not prepared to combat them. There are too many secret codes within the movement that make it difficult for the platform to keep up and regulate this kind of content. This is particularly true because right-wing propaganda is often disguised in the form of funny images (memes), sports events, music and lifestyle accounts. By presenting a seemingly normal and harmless image to the public, the movement is able to slowly draw people into its orbit. Once a user starts interacting with the content and certain accounts, Instagram’s algorithm will suggest related posts with similar messages. Without realising it, a user might be drawn into a filter bubble within the far-right scene, which could eventually lead to radicalisation, as the user feels that these views are valid and that many other people agree with them.

A threat to democracy?

But what does this mean for an upcoming election and for democracy? On²⁶ September, the election for the^20th German Bundestag will take place. This election will set the course for the next four years of politics by deciding which parties will lead the country in the future. With important issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the climate crisis on the agenda, the major parties are trying to position themselves and attract voters’ attention.

Whilst election campaigns have gradually shifted more and more towards the internet over time, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought traditional campaign activities in public spaces to an abrupt halt, forcing parties and their leaders to launch their campaigns online. Of course, this offers opportunities to attract new followers and voters online who would not have been reached through traditional election campaigns.

The Federal Statistical Office estimates that around 60.4 million Germans living in the country will be eligible to vote in September, with approximately 2.8 million young people set to cast their vote in the Bundestag elections for the first time. In order to reach these first-time voters, political parties are trying to establish a presence on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. This year, 53 parties are eligible to stand in the election, but seven major parties are currently represented in the Bundestag, competing for the most votes. In addition, the election results will also pave the way for the election of the next chancellor.

Among these parties is the AfD, which is positioned on the far right of the political spectrum. As Correctiv’s research has shown, the AfD and its followers are well connected on Instagram.

The problem with this is that much of the content on the platform appears normal at first glance, but in fact conceals a deeply racist, anti-Semitic or even seditious ideology. It is known that parts of the movement are officially classified as right-wing extremists and therefore pose a potential threat to democracy. So when this right-wing movement is able to gain more attention during the election campaign, it could strengthen parties such as the AfD, and consequently their right-wing extremist supporters, who seek to undermine our democracy.

Further details and our sources can be found in our presentation.

Sources for this entry:

Preview image: Feyissa, S. (2020). Photo of a person holding a black Samsung Android smartphone [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/KWZa42a1kds

Header image: Schwarzenberger, M. (2014). German flag during elections [Photograph]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/de/photos/wahlen-deutschland-flagge-450164/

Screenshot: see our presentation

References:

Correctiv’s research:

Eckert, T., Echtermann, A., Steinberg, A., Diaz, C., & Kommerell, C. (26 November 2020). No filter for the far right. Correctiv. https://correctiv.org/top-stories/2020/10/06/kein-filter-fuer-rechts-instagram-rechtsextremismus-frauen-der-rechten-szene/#wie-tausende-rechte

Eckert, T., Echtermann, A., Steinberg, A., Diaz, C., & Kommerell, C. (17 November 2020). Data, data, data: This is how we went about it. Correctiv. https://correctiv.org/top-stories/2020/10/06/kein-filter-fuer-rechts-instagram-rechtsextremismus-daten-so-sind-wir-vorgegangen/#daten-daten-daten-so-sind-wir-vorgegangen

About the Bundestag election:

The Federal Returning Officer. (2021). Election to the 20th German Bundestag on 26 September 2021. https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2021.html

The Federal Returning Officer. (2021). 2021 Bundestag Election: 60.4 million people eligible to vote. https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/info/presse/mitteilungen/bundestagswahl-2021/01_21_wahlberechtigte-geschaetzt.html

The Federal Returning Officer. (2021). 53 parties are eligible to stand in the 2021 Bundestag election. https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/info/presse/mitteilungen/bundestagswahl-2021/14_21_1bwa-entscheidung.html