A Safe Space to Hate

The report analyses a network of 208 Telegram channels, finding that the platform's limited content moderation makes it a 'safe space' for white supremacists to share pro-terrorist content, tactical guides for violence, and anti-minority hate speech. It highlights a shift toward a 'post-organisational' model of extremism where online networks replace formal group affiliations. The analysis reveals high interconnectivity between channels, the use of 'boogaloo' civil war narratives, and the glorification of lone-actor terrorists.

• ISD identified 208 Telegram channels used by white supremacists, with membership ranging from 67 to 11,578 and an average of 1,773 members. These channels range from non-violent racist discussions to the glorification of terrorism and direct calls for violent attacks.
• The white supremacist ecosystem on Telegram is densely interconnected; 205 of the 208 identified channels link to one another, and 21.2% of content is forwarded from other groups. Non-violent racist channels often serve as gateways to more extreme communities that explicitly promote violence.
• A significant portion of the monitored network explicitly supports terrorism; 125 channels (60.1%) contained support for terrorists or terrorist organisations, including the glorification of attacks and calls for violence against minorities.
• The report identifies a 'post-organisational paradigm' of extreme right-wing terrorism, where individuals commit attacks based on connections to loose online networks and extremist culture rather than formal affiliation with proscribed terrorist groups.
• Telegram is used to distribute tactical material for violent mobilisation, including bomb-making instructions, combat tips, and advice on maintaining firearms. ISD identified 7 specific tactical groups serving as hubs for this material.
• Hate speech is pervasive, with 183 channels (87.9%) containing explicit anti-minority slurs or hostile framing of minority communities, particularly targeting Black people, Muslims, and LGBTQ+ individuals. Some channels specifically advocate for gendered violence, including the use of rape as a strategic tool of psychological warfare.
• There is a notable crossover between white supremacist networks and 'boogaloo' communities (those advocating for a second US civil war). 117 channels (56.3%) referenced 'boogaloo', suggesting a bridge between armed anti-government militias and white supremacist accelerationists.
• Visual content plays a critical role in mobilisation; 20.7% of posts contained no text, and on average 40% of posts were images or videos, which often include memes inciting violence that bypass keyword-based text analysis.

APA

Guhl, J., & Davey, J. (2020). A Safe Space to Hate. Institute for Strategic Dialogue. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/A-Safe-Space-to-Hate.pdf

Chicago

Guhl, Jakob, and Jacob Davey. A Safe Space to Hate. Institute for Strategic Dialogue, 2020. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/A-Safe-Space-to-Hate.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Guhl |first1=Jakob |last2=Davey |first2=Jacob |title=A Safe Space to Hate |publisher=Institute for Strategic Dialogue |date=26 June 2020 |url=https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/A-Safe-Space-to-Hate.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{guhl2020safe, author = {Guhl, Jakob and Davey, Jacob}, title = {{A Safe Space to Hate}}, institution = {Institute for Strategic Dialogue}, year = {2020}, month = jun, url = {https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/A-Safe-Space-to-Hate.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }