Extremism on the net

Abstract

A long-lasting association with the horrors of Nazism has stymied rightwing extremism ever since the Second World War1 and, in most countries, right-wing extremists have found themselves marginalised from mainstream society. Without political and social respectability, extreme-right groups have been forced to operate as political pariahs, largely restricted to the political fringe with little space or opportunity to propagate their ideology. Within this domain, where far-right ideology has been disseminated, for the most part it has been through printed media (typically newspapers, magazines and newsletters). Frequently of low quality and variously subjected to legal restraint – such as laws against incitement to racial hatred and Holocaust denial – this material has seldom circulated beyond a narrow band of followers. Yet as one observer has recognised, it is ‘in the nature of radicalism and extremism to propagate by all available means’ (Whine, 1997: 209), and whilst this is not strictly true (some extremists stop short of advocating violence), advances in modern technology have been seized upon by right-wing extremists eager to widen their audience. Since the 1980s, far-right activists, mainly in North America, have used cable television, radio, faxes and ‘dial-a-hate’ telephone messages. But what is now on offer is beyond compare: a truly global communications medium of an estimated 400 million users. The Internet is, as Stern (2001) says, ‘the most remarkable communication advancement of our time because it is easier, cheaper, quicker, multimedia, immense, and interactive’. That right-wing extremists should avail themselves of the opportunities presented by the rapid expansion of the Internet should therefore come as no surprise, especially when material on the net remains largely free from the restraints imposed by national laws, censorship and regulation.