Extreme right-wing groups have been networking online long before the internet - and AI is their next target.

How can societies manage the global spread of far-right extremism online while safeguarding free speech? Policymakers and watchdogs have wrestled with this question since the 1980s and 1990s, and it remains unresolved today.

Long before the rise of artificial intelligence, Telegram, or livestreams by figures like Nick Fuentes, far-right extremists were quick to adopt home computing and the early internet. These technologies offered them new platforms to disseminate propaganda, promote hatred, incite violence, and recruit followers worldwide.

Prior to the digital age, far-right movements relied primarily on printed materials to radicalize supporters. They produced newsletters and reprinted works such as Adolf Hitlers Mein Kampf and William Pierces dystopian novel The Turner Diaries, mailing these publications internationally to extend their reach.

Historical research shows that much of the neo-Nazi literature circulating in Germany between the 1970s and 1990s originated in the United States. American extremists leveraged First Amendment protections to bypass German censorship, allowing German neo-Nazis to distribute this content domestically. Yet, print propaganda had limitations: it could be lost, confiscated, or delayed, and producing and shipping it was costly and labor-intensive.

The Digital Shift

The emergence of personal computers in the late 1970s provided a solution to these challenges. By the early 1980s, far-right leaders in the U.S. were seeking donations to modernize their operations with computers, printers, and word processing tools. They quickly learned to connect computers using bulletin board systems (BBSes), a precursor to the internet, which allowed users to share messages, documents, and software remotely.

The first far-right BBS, Aryan Nations Liberty Net, launched in 1984 by Louis Beam, envisioned a network connecting leaders and activists to share knowledge and strategy. These systems also facilitated the distribution of extremist content such as neo-Nazi computer games, exposing young audiences in the U.S., Germany, and Austria to violent and antisemitic material.

The Web Revolution

With the mid-1990s rise of the World Wide Web, BBSes became less popular. Websites like Stormfront, founded in 1995 by Don Black, became major hubs for white supremacist activity, linked to numerous violent incidents. By 2000, Germany had blocked hundreds of right-wing websites, but American-hosted servers allowed extremists to bypass these restrictions and reach an international audience.

AI: The Next Frontier

Today, far-right extremists are turning to artificial intelligence. AI tools enable the creation of targeted propaganda, image and audio manipulation, and evasion of detection. Platforms like Gab have even introduced Hitler-themed chatbots, while AI on social networks has mirrored extremist user views, sometimes producing antisemitic content and Holocaust denial.

Addressing Extremism

Combating online far-right extremism requires international collaboration among governments, NGOs, tech companies, and communities. As these movements continue to exploit new technologies and free speech protections, countermeasures must evolve rapidly to stay ahead.

Author: Sophia Brooks