Instagram has become a hub for young neo-Nazis to recruit young people to far-right groups, a report from anti-racism group Hope Not Hate (HNH) has warned. The recommendations-driven platform and its focus on visual media make it ideal for spreading propaganda, HNH said in its annual State of Hate assessment.
HNH identified two far-right groups active in the UK – The British Hand and the National Partisan Movement – which have used the Facebook-owned platform to recruit members, while using other messaging apps such as Telegram. Three alleged members of The British Hand, all teenage boys, are facing trial on terrorism charges.
Nick Lowles, Hope Not Hate’s chief executive, said: “Though we continue to warn about niche platforms like Telegram, a fertile recruitment ground for young neo-Nazis has been Instagram – its inadequate moderation and worrying algorithm recommendations are child protection issues that demand urgent action from the platform.”
The HNH report found the Covid-19 pandemic has sped up the move of the British far right from the streets to online. The group said older, traditional groups have been left behind by a younger, digital generation who exploit technology to promote their ideology through gaming, social media voice chats, online film clubs and even home schooling.
A Facebook company spokesperson said: “We do not want hate on our platform and we removed a number of accounts belonging to The British Hand and National Partisan Movement before this report was published. We’ve banned over 250 white supremacist organisations from Facebook and Instagram, and will continue removing content that praises, supports or represents these groups.”
Britain’s youngest convicted terrorist, who led a neo-Nazi cell from his grandmother’s house, was handed a two-year rehabilitation order last month after pleading guilty to 12 offences. The boy from south-east Cornwall was just 13 when he first got hold of instructions for explosives.
