Extreme ideas

Report warns of flood of right-wing content on TikTok

According to the Anne Frank Educational Center, the amount of right-wing extremist content is overwhelming.

(Bild: AFP)

In view of right-wing populist and extreme right-wing content on Tiktok, the Anne Frank Educational Center is calling on the democratic parties to take action. Extreme right-wing ideas are presented there as cool, said the director of the educational institution, Deborah Schnabel, on Tuesday in Frankfurt. 

A report presented by the educational institution on Tuesday lists numerous examples of the actions of right-wing actors on TikTok. For example, the housewife trend #Tradwife, in which women in 1950s outfits are shown doing traditional household chores, is used to play out right-wing content - for example, photos are accompanied by banned SS songs.

An "us versus them" feeling is conveyed and the borderline of what is forbidden is played with, which can be particularly catchy with young people, it was said. Accounts from the German AfD or from the party's environment repeatedly took part in this, according to Schnabel.

Eva Berendsen from the educational institution called on the other parties to step up their activities on the platform. This is because their weak presence on TikTok gives the false impression that the AfD is primarily concerned with the concerns and fears of young people. Social platforms play a central role in shaping their opinions. The mass of right-wing extremist content is overwhelming. "We can't let that stand," said Berendsen.

Time is of the essence
Putting explanatory videos and educational content on TikTok is not enough, said Schnabel: "Young people also want to be respected in their aesthetic attitudes and addressed on an emotional level." This is where political communication needs to be rethought. Time is of the essence, as trends and platforms are developing rapidly and this is accelerating further with the use of artificial intelligence.

Platforms have a duty
Media literacy and political education must be given a higher priority in schools, Schnabel demanded. The platforms, TikTok and others, should be obliged to take effective action against right-wing content. In the case of a swastika made up of emojis, for example, the educational institution had unsuccessfully requested TikTok to delete it.