Telegram as a Buttress: How far-right extremists and conspiracy theorists are expanding their infrastructures via Telegram

The report analyzes over 650,000 messages from 238 Telegram channels to understand the digital infrastructure of the far-right in Germany. It finds that while extremists use alternative platforms, they still maintain a significant presence on established sites by posting 'softer' content to avoid deletion, using Telegram as a hub for more radical material.

• Telegram serves primarily as a gathering point for individuals and organizations whose accounts on larger platforms have been deleted, rather than as a gateway to a single dominant alternative platform for the German extreme right-wing milieu.
• Right-wing extremists and conspiracy ideologues show a particular preference for audiovisual platforms, including video and livestreaming sites, many of which are hosted outside the German-speaking area.
• Despite regulatory efforts like the NetzDG, established platforms remain highly attractive; 16 per cent of links in the dataset led to established sites, which is double the amount of links leading to smaller platforms that operate below legal deletion obligations.
• Extremists have adopted a dual communication strategy: they post moderated, 'softer' content on established platforms to prevent account deletion while directing followers to alternative platforms like Telegram for more radical content.
• A small number of 'power users' strategically manage complex networks across multiple channels and group chats to maximize their reach, as exemplified by Attila Hildmann.

APA

Gerster, L., Kuchta, R., Hammer, D., & Schwieter, C. (2022). Telegram as a Buttress: How far-right extremists and conspiracy theorists are expanding their infrastructures via Telegram. Institute for Strategic Dialogue. https://www.isdglobal.org/publication/telegram-as-a-buttress-how-far-right-extremists-and-conspiracy-theorists-are-expanding-their-infrastructures-via-telegram/

Chicago

Gerster, Lea, Richard Kuchta, Dominik Hammer, and Christian Schwieter. Telegram as a Buttress: How far-right extremists and conspiracy theorists are expanding their infrastructures via Telegram. Institute for Strategic Dialogue, 2022. https://www.isdglobal.org/publication/telegram-as-a-buttress-how-far-right-extremists-and-conspiracy-theorists-are-expanding-their-infrastructures-via-telegram/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gerster |first1=Lea |last2=Kuchta |first2=Richard |last3=Hammer |first3=Dominik |last4=Schwieter |first4=Christian |title=Telegram as a Buttress: How far-right extremists and conspiracy theorists are expanding their infrastructures via Telegram |publisher=Institute for Strategic Dialogue |date=21 October 2022 |url=https://www.isdglobal.org/publication/telegram-as-a-buttress-how-far-right-extremists-and-conspiracy-theorists-are-expanding-their-infrastructures-via-telegram/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gerster2022telegram, author = {Gerster, Lea and Kuchta, Richard and Hammer, Dominik and Schwieter, Christian}, title = {{Telegram as a Buttress: How far-right extremists and conspiracy theorists are expanding their infrastructures via Telegram}}, institution = {Institute for Strategic Dialogue}, year = {2022}, month = oct, url = {https://www.isdglobal.org/publication/telegram-as-a-buttress-how-far-right-extremists-and-conspiracy-theorists-are-expanding-their-infrastructures-via-telegram/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }