Far-Right Hate Speech Online - Too Late to Stop?

Final Conference of the RECO_DAR Project

Far-right narratives have increasingly shaped public discourse, driven in large part by their strategic and sophisticated use of digital platforms such as TikTok and Telegram. The recent electoral successes of far-right parties are closely tied to their ability to exploit online ecosystems, leveraging social media dynamics to amplify their messages, mobilise supporters, and evade moderation efforts.

The RECO_DAR project has mapped the spread of far-right hate speech online in German-speaking countries, analysing its key actors, strategies, and impact. By investigating these digital networks, the project has provided crucial insights into how extremist narratives evolve, how they reach mainstream audiences, and what can be done to disrupt them.

This final conference of RECO_DAR will present our key findings in the context of expert discussions with leading researchers in this area.

What to Expect

• Keynote Speech "The Use of AI to Detect Hate Speech Online"

  by Professor Stuart Macdonald, Coordinator of the VOX-Pol Network, Co-Director of the Cyber Threats Research Centre at the University of Swansea, and a member of Europol’s Advisory Network on Terrorism and Propaganda.

  
  

Synopsis: Given the vast amount of content that is posted to online platforms every day, the use of automated (including AI) tools to detect and remove hate speech is essential. Indeed, researchers and policymakers alike frequently recommend the use of such tools, and have supported initiatives to develop and make them freely available. However, the use of AI tools faces several challenges and trade-offs. This presentation will begin by detailing some of these, including the difficulties involved in compiling a training dataset and the inherent limitations of machine learning algorithms. Given the potential ‘real world’ impacts of content moderation, it is important that the use of AI tools is supplemented by both (adequately resourced) human-in-the-loop processes and oversight mechanisms. The presentation will describe these and offer recommendations centred on their implementation.

🔹 Panel Discussion: Understanding and Countering Far-Right Hate Speech Online

A panel of experts will examine some of the most pressing questions surrounding far-right digital strategies:

• Who are the main actors pushing far-right hate speech online?

• What are their key strategies?

• How effective are they in influencing public discourse?

• Has far-right hate speech already been mainstreamed?

• What measures can be taken to counter these dynamics?

• Panellists:

  • Dr Daniela Pisoiu, Scientific Director at SCENOR (moderator)

  • Professor Stuart Macdonald, Co-Director of the Cyber Threats Research Centre at the University of Swansea

  • Dr Birgitte Haanshuus, Centre for Research on Extremism in Oslo (C-REX)

  • Dr Eviane Leidig, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism in The Hague (ICCT)

  • Erik Hacker, Researcher at SCENOR

This is an excellent opportunity to deepen your understanding of the strategies to combat online hate speech and extremism.

Reserve your spot now!