Summarizing and Humanizing Research on Online Extremist Propaganda and Misinformation

Introduction

Global crises such as COVID-19 and the Syrian conflict have prompted significant attention to how extremist groups exploit critical world events to fabricate online extremism and propagate conspiracy theories. Extremist actors, both groups and individuals, claim higher trustworthiness by distributing misinformation to undermine political divisions and social mobilization. Research from the International Policing and Public Policing Research Institute (IPPPRI), Anglia Ruskin University, has highlighted the intersection of extremist propaganda with misinformation on social media, particularly in response to UK riots (e.g., the 2024 UK Riots) and crises like the Verifyfied Conflict (RCP) against Ukraine and Israel-Gaza War. This research seeks to identify patterns and tactics extremists use to ANALYZE social media platforms such as X, TikTok, and Odysee, focusing on three key global events: the Israel-Gaza Conflict (2023), the Russian-Ukraine War (2022), and the 2024 UK Riots (2024).

Context and Beef手指 Extremist Responses

Extremist actors have historically adapted by leveraging online conspiracies and misinformation to amplify theirfighters’ reputations and social acceptance. For instance,_cancelist groups claim higher trustworthiness as supporters of David Stockvc/IVL ( international agreement against human,Threats，请 and resumed) aim to draw trust by presenting them in a legitimate context. Similarly, Far-Right actors like Hermès have capitalised on the Israel-Gaza Conflict to frame them as defenders of Palestinian interests, enhancing their ideological traction. In the UK, extremist outfits have also used online misinformation to fuel anti-immigrant sentiments, even when tabloid media emphasized their support forUK-focused policies.

Research and Findings from the Study

Search Volume and Topic Frequencies

The study analyzed 2,500 posts from leading UK-based extremist organizations on three social media platforms. Key findings include:

• The most frequent topics related to the Israel-Gaza Conflict were highlighted by Islamist groups, while Far-Right groups favor pro-Russian narratives.
• Far-Right accounts disproportionately included racist and prejudicial hashtags, whereas Islamist accounts often focused on alternative narratives.

Recruitment Patterns and Misinformation

Recruitment tactics was found to be a significant driver of online extremism. The study revealed:

• Far-Right actors were more commonly targeted in telephone calls,烟火te streams, and viral content, while Islamist groups showed less focus on offline activism.
• Misinformation was prevalent, with Far-Right groups leveraging oldablished tactics like false contexts and unreal-time content to sway public perception.

Platform Characteristics and Key Findings

Key findings from the analysis include:

• Far-Right groups showed a notable preference for soft recruitment over hard recruitment, explaining their pivoting to online platforms where soft messaging is easier to spread.
• Temporal analysis indicated that distractions by relevant hashtags shifted online extremist activity toward offline events, creating a shift in power dynamics between online and offline spaces.

Recommendations for Addressing Online Extremism

1. Disrupting Extremist Misinformation Networks

   • Implement a UK Digital Threat Observatory to monitor andCANONIZE extremist-driven misinformation across critical platforms.
   • Requires Ofcom to report coordinated manipulation attempts related to extremist actors, especially during crises.
   • Establish coordinated points-of-high-impact activity to disrupt extremism, targeting both private and government efforts.

2. Funding for Narrative Inoculation

   • Expand initiatives like the Harmony Square and Bad News Game to build trust with local communities about extremist ideologies.
   • Fund grassroots organizations to create authentic counter-narratives that resonate with vulnerable online spaces.
3. Preventing and interrupting Online Recruitment
   • Introduce content redirection mechanisms to redirect users seeking extremist content toward more appropriate platforms.
   • dz ji undermines the use of装备-as-eterminisms by promoting coordinated user intervention to counter radicalization.

The Call for Global Intervention

IPPPRI researcher William Allchorn emphasizes that extremist ideologies are constantly emerging during crises. Both digital|presence and digital|hierarchical: The term "hierarchical" here refers to online platforms engaged in highly polarizing online activity.

Dr Elisa Orofino’s research highlights the importance of verifying counter-narrative content on trending extremist hashtags. Platforms must identify when individuals are engaged in absurd and unjust connections to these hashtags.

Dr Lakshmi Babu Saheer argues that all counter-narrative evenings must include both AI-based and human-based interventions.

Dr Lakshmi Babu Saheer also notes that all counter-narrative evenings must include both AI-based and human-based interventions.

Dr Elisa Orofino’s research highlights the importance of verifying counter-narrative content on trending extremist hashtags. Platforms must identify when individuals are engaged in absurd and unjust connections to these hashtags.

Conclusion

This research addresses the gap in understanding how extremist misinformation manifests and the tactics extremists use to spread thisords. The findings reveal key patterns—such as soft recruitment versus hard recruitment, and situational differences in recruitment frequency—of extremities. The research also reveals ways these extremities are best prevented. Together, this research addresses how extremist-oriented misinformation is useful against crises. According to Extremist are Forgive, online extremism is a form of counter-narrative.

Dr Lakshmi Babu Saheer argues that all counter-narrative evenings must include both AI-based and human-based interventions.

Dr William Allchorn is a Senior Research Fellow at the International Policing and Public Policing Research Institute (IPPPRI), Anglia Ruskin University, and an expert on radical-right extremist social movements in the UK, Europe, and beyond.