Telegram as a buttress

The report analyzes the role of Telegram as a 'buttress' for far-right and conspiracy-oriented actors in Germany. Through link analysis of 238 channels, it finds that while Telegram serves as a primary hub and file-sharing tool, these actors continue to strategically use established platforms like YouTube despite regulatory efforts such as the NetzDG. The study highlights the influence of 'power users' like Attila Hildmann, who build complex networks of channels to maximize reach and circumvent platform restrictions.

• Telegram serves as a primary 'catch-all' hub for German far-right and conspiracy actors whose profiles have been removed from larger platforms, though no single alternative platform holds central importance for the scene.
• Despite the Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG), extremist actors maintain a high level of interest in established platforms; 16 percent of links in the dataset led to established sites, with YouTube being more prominent than Twitter or Facebook.
• Linking behavior varies by ideology: right-wing extremists link to established platforms more often than radical right-wing channels, while 'Reichsbürger:innen' primarily use Telegram's own file-sharing tool, Telegra.ph.
• Audio-visual and livestreaming platforms are highly popular, particularly among conspiracy theorists and lockdown opponents. Odysee was the most linked alternative video platform, followed by Bitchute and Rumble.
• Individual 'power users' strategically manage networks of channels to increase reach and bypass restrictions, as exemplified by Attila Hildmann's use of multiple accounts and cross-posting bots.
• The Internet Archive is misused by conspiracy theorists and extremists as an unregulated backup for sharing antisemitic and Holocaust-denying documents.
• Telegram's technical affordances, such as large group capacities (up to 200,000 members) and one-way communication channels, make it a hybrid between a messenger and a social network.

APA

Gerster, L., Kuchta, R., Hammer, D., & Schwieter, C. (2022). Telegram as a buttress. Institute for Strategic Dialogue. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Telegram-as-a-Buttress_How-far-right-extremists-and-conspiracy-theorists-are-expanding-their-infrastructures-via-Telegram.pdf

Chicago

Gerster, Lea, Richard Kuchta, Dominik Hammer, and Christian Schwieter. Telegram as a buttress. Institute for Strategic Dialogue, 2022. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Telegram-as-a-Buttress_How-far-right-extremists-and-conspiracy-theorists-are-expanding-their-infrastructures-via-Telegram.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gerster |first1=Lea |last2=Kuchta |first2=Richard |last3=Hammer |first3=Dominik |last4=Schwieter |first4=Christian |title=Telegram as a buttress |publisher=Institute for Strategic Dialogue |date=2022 |url=https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Telegram-as-a-Buttress_How-far-right-extremists-and-conspiracy-theorists-are-expanding-their-infrastructures-via-Telegram.pdf |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}}, institution = {Institute for Strategic Dialogue}, year = {2022}, url = {https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Telegram-as-a-Buttress_How-far-right-extremists-and-conspiracy-theorists-are-expanding-their-infrastructures-via-Telegram.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }