What they do in the shadows: examining the far-right networks on Telegram

The present paper contributes to the research on the activities of far-right actors on social media by examining the interconnections between far-right actors and groups on Telegram platform using network analysis. The far-right network observed on Telegram is highly decentralized, similarly to the far-right networks found on other social media platforms. The network is divided mostly along the ideological and national lines, with the communities related to 4chan imageboard and Donald Trump’s supporters being the most influential. The analysis of the network evolution shows that the start of its explosive growth coincides in time with the mass bans of the far-right actors on mainstream social media platforms. The observed patterns of network evolution suggest that the simultaneous migration of these actors to Telegram has allowed them to swiftly recreate their connections and gain prominence in the network thus casting doubt on the effectiveness of deplatforming for curbing the influence of far-right and other extremist actors.

本研究聚焦社交媒体极右翼行动者的活动研究，通过网络分析方法探究Telegram平台上极右翼行动者与群体间的互联关联。观测发现，Telegram上的极右翼网络呈现高度去中心化特征，与其他社交媒体平台上观测到的极右翼网络结构一致。该网络主要沿意识形态与国别界限分化，其中与4chan图像论坛相关的社群以及唐纳德·特朗普（Donald Trump）的支持者社群影响力最为显著。对网络演化过程的分析显示，其爆发式增长的起始时间与主流社交媒体平台对极右翼行动者的大规模封禁行动在时间上高度重合。观测到的网络演化模式表明，这些行动者同步迁移至Telegram后，得以快速重建原有联系并在网络中获得影响力，这对去平台化策略在遏制极右翼及其他极端主义行动者影响力方面的有效性提出了质疑。