Resources

Understanding Intra-actions & Interactions Between Conspiracy & Far-Right Groups

A summary of the seminar that took place 23 MAY 2024.

Overview

In recent years, there has been a surge in extremism related to conspiracy and far-right ideologies, including vandalising phone masts and violent attacks on migrant centres. 

This seminar discussed a CREST-funded project that uses a combined method of computer and social sciences to analyse interactions between conspiracy and far-right groups.

Using data from the storming of the capitol and anti-lockdown protests, this presentation focused on the relationships between these groups, key influencing topics, and the directionality of influence. 

The insights highlighted the critical role of integrating computer and social science methods in detecting and preventing dangerous interactions between conspiracy and political groups.

Key Takeaways 

• The findings show that group dynamics foster interaction between conspiracy and far-right groups, with far-right groups directly influencing conspiratorial communities, but not vice versa.
• Data suggests a connection between online communication and offline events, including violence, organised around themes such as Hidden Truth, Freedom, and Child Protection.
• Conspiracy and far-right groups exhibit different group dynamics with unique impacts on fostering interaction and influence. Notably, far-right groups tended to be structured in a more top-down model while conspiracy groups tended to be more discursive and grass-roots based. 

Attendees

Idenities were kept anonymous. There were 20 attendees including 9 practitioners.

Resources

Two CREST reports on the project will be available in July.

The first Full Report, 'Introducing SHIFT Analysis and Understanding Intra-Actions Within QAnon: Co-Presence of Conspiracy Beliefs and Extremism' is available here.

To be notified when the other report becomes avaiable (among other outputs from CREST), sign up to the CREST newsletter.