https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alt-right_pipeline Jump to content [ ] Main menu Main menu move to sidebar hide Navigation * Main page * Contents * Current events * Random article * About Wikipedia * Contact us * Donate Contribute * Help * Learn to edit * Community portal * Recent changes * Upload file Languages Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [wikipe] Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia Search [ ] [Search] [Go] * Create account * Log in [ ] Personal tools * Create account * Log in Pages for logged out editors learn more * Contributions * Talk [ ] Contents move to sidebar hide * (Top) * 1Process * 2Content * 3Psychological factors * 4Concerns and prevention * 5See also * 6References Toggle the table of contents [ ] Toggle the table of contents Alt-right pipeline [ ] Add languages Add links * Article * Talk [ ] English * Read * Edit * View history [ ] Tools Tools move to sidebar hide Actions * Read * Edit * View history General * What links here * Related changes * Upload file * Special pages * Permanent link * Page information * Cite this page * Wikidata item Print/export * Download as PDF * Printable version From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Online radicalization process [330px-Alternative_Influence_Network_on_YouTube] Graphic of interactions between right-wing personalities on YouTube from January 2017 to April 2018. Each line indicates a shared appearance in a YouTube video, allowing audiences of one personality to discover another.^[1] The alt-right pipeline (also called the alt-right rabbit hole) is a conceptual model regarding internet radicalization toward the alt-right movement. It describes a phenomenon in which consuming provocative right-wing political content, such as antifeminist or anti-SJW ideas, gradually increases exposure to the alt-right or similar far-right politics. It posits that this interaction takes place due to the interconnected nature of political commentators and online communities, allowing members of one audience or community to discover more extreme groups.^[1]^[2] This process is most commonly associated with and has been documented on the video platform YouTube , is also largely faceted by the method in which algorithms on various social media platforms function through the process recommending content that is similar to what users engage with, but can quickly lead users down rabbit-holes.^[2]^[3] Many political movements have been associated with the pipeline concept. The intellectual dark web,^[2] libertarianism,^[4] the men's rights movement,^[5] and the alt-lite movement^[2] have all been identified as possibly introducing audiences to alt-right ideas. BreadTube has similarly been identified as introducing audiences to far-left politics,^[6]^[7] though it has been less effective.^[7] Audiences that seek out and are willing to accept extreme content in this fashion typically consist of young men, commonly those that experience significant loneliness and seek belonging or meaning.^[6] In an attempt to find community and belonging, message boards that are often proliferated with hard right social commentary, such as 4chan and 8chan, have been well documented in their importance in the radicalization process.^[8] The alt-right pipeline may be a contributing factor to domestic terrorism.^[9]^[10] Many social media platforms have acknowledged this path of radicalization and have taken measures to prevent it, including the removal of extremist figures and rules against hate speech and misinformation.^[11]^[6] Process[edit] Use of the internet allows individuals with heterodox beliefs to alter their environment, which in turn has transformative effects on the user. Influence from external sources such as the internet can be gradual so that the individual is not immediately aware of their changing understanding or surroundings. Members of the alt-right refer to this radicalization process as "taking the red pill" in reference to the method of immediately achieving greater awareness in The Matrix. This is in contrast to the gradual nature of radicalization described by the alt-right pipeline.^[10]^[12] Many on the far-right recognize the potential of this radicalization method and actively share right-wing content with the intention of gradually radicalizing those around them. A common method used to rope in new audiences into far-right circles is to use humor and memes to spread right-wing rhetoric and ideology to make the content palpable and acceptable to newer audiences. The nature of internet memes means they can easily be recreated and spread to many different internet communities. Examples of this can be seen in cartoon character Pepe the Frog, and internet personalities such as Steven Crowder.^[12]^[13] YouTube has been identified as a major element in the alt-right pipeline. This is facilitated through an "Alternative Influence Network", in which various right-wing scholars, pundits, and internet personalities interact with one another to boost performance of their content. These figures may vary in their ideologies between conservatism, libertarianism, or white nationalism, but they share a common opposition to feminism, progressivism, and social justice that allows viewers of one figure to quickly acclimate to another.^[1] They often prioritize right-wing social issues over right-wing economic issues, with little discussion of fiscal conservatism. Some individuals in this network may not interact with one another, but a collection of interviews, internet debates, and other interactions create pathways for users to be introduced to new content.^[2] Youtube's algorithm works by recommending similar content to users via a powerful recommendation system; which has been designed to quickly and easily recommend similar content or content that is otherwise similar to a user's interest. Users can deep dive into topics that interest them easily instead of manually searching for content. On the other hand, this seamless user experience likewise allows newer audiences to be exposed to extreme content, and for already radicalized individuals to reconfirm their biases. As well, it is common for videos that promote misinformation, and conspiracy theories gain large traction in Youtube's algorithm, because of how alarmist video content like this regularly garners millions of views, and continues to go viral.^[10]^[6] When a user is exposed to certain content featuring certain political issues or culture war issues, this recommendation system may lead users to different ideas or issues, including Islamophobia, opposition to immigration, antifeminism, or reproduction rates.^[10]^ [14] Recommended content is often somewhat related, which creates an effect of gradual radicalization between multiple issues, referred to as a pipeline. However, the platform has also been documented on several occasions recommending certain types of content that is entirely unrelated to the previous content a user typically engages with.^[3]^[14] Radicalization also takes place in interactions with other radicalized users online, on varied platforms such as Gab, Reddit, 4chan, or Discord.^[10] Major personalities in this chain often have a presence on Facebook and Twitter, though YouTube is typically their primary platform for messaging and earning income.^ [6] The sheer scale of the internet, as well as the many entry points into the pipeline, adds a level of complexity to the radicalization process that often makes it difficult to target and prevent. Algorithms, regardless of the social media platform of which they serve, play a huge role in the way an individual's internet experience is altered as they begin consuming more far-right content, due to the nature of always funnelling similar content to users. This phenomenon of algorithmic filtering can create echo chambers, which can make the de-programming process extremely difficult for individuals who are deeply entrenched in this content sphere and community. However, research into algorithms and social media is often difficult, since companies are not transparent or forthcoming to third-parties about their algorithms and data, and while the effects have been replicated in some studies,^[2] and the extent of algorithmic bias is unclear.^[11]^[15] Content[edit] The alt-right pipeline has been found to begin with the intellectual dark web community, which is made up of internet personalities that are unified by an opposition to identity politics and political correctness, such as Joe Rogan, Ben Shapiro, Dave Rubin, and Jordan Peterson. The intellectual dark web community overlaps and interacts with the alt-lite community, such as Steven Crowder, Paul Joseph Watson, Mark Dice, and Sargon of Akkad. This community in turn overlaps and interacts with the alt-right community, such as James Allsup, Black Pigeon Speaks, Varg Vikernes, and Red Ice.^[2] The most extreme endpoint often involves fascism or belief in an international Jewish conspiracy,^[12] though the severity of extremism can vary between individuals.^[6] The antifeminist Manosphere has been identified as another early point in the alt-right pipeline.^[5] The men's rights movement often discusses men's issues more visibly than other groups, attracting young men with interest in such issues when no alternative is made available. Many right-wing internet personalities have developed a method to expand their audiences by commenting on popular media; videos that criticize movies or video games for supporting left-wing ideas are more likely to attract fans of the respective franchises.^ [6] The format presented by YouTube has allowed extremists of all ideologies to access new audiences through this means.^[6] The same process has also been used to facilitate far-left radicalization. The internet community BreadTube developed through the use this pipeline process to introduce users to left-wing content and mitigate exposure to right-wing content,^[6]^[7] though the pipeline process has been found to be less effective in spreading far-left radicalization due to the larger variety of opposing left-wing groups that limits interaction and overlap.^[7] This dichotomy can also cause a "whiplash polarization" in which individuals are converted between far-right and far-left politics.^[6] Psychological factors[edit] The psychological factors of radicalization through the alt-right pipeline are similar to other forms of radicalization, including normalization, acclimation, and dehumanization. Normalization involves the trivialization of racist and antisemitic rhetoric. Individuals early in the alt-right pipeline will not willingly embrace such rhetoric, but will adopt it under the guise of dark humor, causing it to be less shocking over time. This may sometimes be engineered intentionally by members of the alt-right to make their beliefs more palatable and provide plausible deniability for extreme beliefs. Acclimation is the process of being conditioned to seeing bigoted content. By acclimating to controversial content, individuals become more open to slightly more extreme content. Over time, conservative figures appear too moderate and users seek out more extreme voices. Dehumanization is the final step of the alt-right pipeline, where minorities are seen as lesser or undeserving of life and dehumanizing language is used to refer to people that disagree with far-right beliefs.^[10] The process is associated with young men that experience loneliness, meaninglessness, or a lack of belonging.^[6] Furthermore, the amount of young men experiencing loneliness and a lack of meaningful attachments means that these individuals will likely bond together over their shared feelings and commonality, which reinforces the feeling of community in right-wing internet spheres.^[8] An openness to unpopular views is necessary for individuals to accept beliefs associated with the alt-right pipeline. It has been associated with contrarianism, in which an individual uses the working assumption that the worldviews of most people are entirely wrong. From this assumption, individuals are more inclined to adopt beliefs that are unpopular or fringe. This makes effective several entry points of the alt-right pipeline, such as libertarianism, in which ideologies attract individuals with traits that make them susceptible to radicalization when exposed to other fringe ideas.^[4] Motivation for pursuing these communities varies, with some people finding them by chance while others seek them out. Interest in video games is associated with the early stages of the alt-right pipeline.^[6] One of the most effective methods of radicalization among the alt-right pipeline is the way freedom of speech and expression is portrayed by pundits. The belief is that, when expressing these socially conservative or bigoted viewpoints, individuals will experience criticism or blow back, their freedom of speech is being infringed upon. Often, it is called being "cancelled" or censored by opponents, and fighting back against these perceived attacks is highly encouraged by prevalent right-wing figures on the internet. The framing of criticism and discourse as a personal attack often means that individuals are highly defensive of their beliefs, and it can be difficult to engage in rational debates with such individuals, and to change and challenge their beliefs. Concerns and prevention[edit] Internet radicalization correlates with an increase in lone wolf attacks and domestic terrorism.^[9]^[16] The alt-right pipeline has been associated with the Christchurch mosque shootings, in which a far-right extremist killed 51 Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, who directly credited the Internet for the formation of his beliefs in his manifesto.^[10]^[17] Many social media platforms have recognized the potential of radicalization and have implemented measures to limit its prevalence. High profile extremist commentators such as Alex Jones have been banned from several platforms, and platforms often have rules against hate speech and misinformation. In 2019, YouTube announced a change to its recommendation algorithm to reduce conspiracy theory related content.^[6]^[14] In spite of promises to change, the Mozilla foundation launched a crowd-sourced research study into Youtube's recommendation software, inspired by the lack of change from the platform.^[3] In 2020, the extension RegretsReporter was launched, which was designed so users can report videos and content they regretted watching. Between July 2020 and May 2021, the Mozilla foundation began collecting reports from volunteers located in 190 countries to collect data on Youtube's algorithm.^[3] The topics of videos were wide ranging, but found out that 71% of reports came from videos recommended in the algorithm and were 40% more likely to be reported as a regret than videos that were searched for.^[3] Some extreme content, such as explicit deceptions of violence, are typically removed on most social media platforms. On YouTube, content that expresses support of extremism may have monetization features removed, may be flagged for review, or may have public user comments disabled.^[11] See also[edit] * iconInternet portal * iconPolitics portal * Filter bubble * Internet manipulation * Nonviolent extremism * Online youth radicalization * Right-wing populism * Right-wing terrorism References[edit] 1. ^ ^a ^b ^c Lewis, Rebecca (2018-09-18). Alternative Influence: Broadcasting the Reactionary Right on YouTube (Report). Data & Society. 2. ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Ribeiro, Manoel Horta; Ottoni, Raphael; West, Robert; Almeida, Virgilio A. F.; Meira, Wagner (2020-01-27). "Auditing Radicalization Pathways on YouTube". FAT* '20: Proceedings of the 2020 Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency: 131-141. doi:10.1145/ 3351095.3372879. ISBN 9781450369367. S2CID 201316434. 3. ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Mozilla (7 July 2021). "Mozilla Investigation: YouTube Algorithm Recommends Videos that Violate the Platform's Very Own Policies". Mozilla Foundation. Retrieved 25 March 2023. 4. ^ ^a ^b Hermansson, Patrik; Lawrence, David; Mulhall, Joe; Murdoch, Simon (2020-01-31). The International Alt-Right: Fascism for the 21st Century?. Routledge. pp. 57-58. ISBN 978-0-429-62709-5. 5. ^ ^a ^b Mamie, Robin; Horta Ribeiro, Manoel; West, Robert (2021-06-21). "Are Anti-Feminist Communities Gateways to the Far Right? Evidence from Reddit and YouTube". 13th ACM Web Science Conference 2021. WebSci '21. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery: 139-147. arXiv:2102.12837. doi:10.1145/ 3447535.3462504. ISBN 978-1-4503-8330-1. S2CID 232045966. 6. ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ^i ^j ^k ^l ^m Roose, Kevin (2019-06-08). "The Making of a YouTube Radical". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-10-26. 7. ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Cotter, Kelley (2022-03-18). "Practical knowledge of algorithms: The case of BreadTube". New Media & Society: 146144482210818. doi:10.1177/14614448221081802. ISSN 1461-4448. S2CID 247560346. 8. ^ ^a ^b Hughes, Terwyn (26 January 2021). "Canada's alt-right pipeline". The Pigeon. Retrieved 25 March 2023. 9. ^ ^a ^b Piazza, James A. (2022-01-02). "Fake news: the effects of social media disinformation on domestic terrorism". Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict. 15 (1): 55-77. doi:10.1080/ 17467586.2021.1895263. ISSN 1746-7586. S2CID 233679934. 10. ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Munn, Luke (2019-06-01). "Alt-right pipeline: Individual journeys to extremism online". First Monday. doi:10.5210/fm.v24i6.10108. ISSN 1396-0466. S2CID 184483249. 11. ^ ^a ^b ^c Ledwich, Mark; Zaitsev, Anna (2020-02-26). "Algorithmic extremism: Examining YouTube's rabbit hole of radicalization". First Monday. arXiv:1912.11211. doi:10.5210/ fm.v25i3.10419. ISSN 1396-0466. S2CID 209460683. 12. ^ ^a ^b ^c Evans, Robert (2018-10-11). "From Memes to Infowars: How 75 Fascist Activists Were "Red-Pilled"". Bellingcat. Retrieved 2022-10-27. 13. ^ Wilson, Jason (2017-05-23). "Hiding in plain sight: how the 'alt-right' is weaponizing irony to spread fascism". The Guardian . Retrieved 2022-10-28. 14. ^ ^a ^b ^c Bennhold, Katrin; Fisher, Max (7 September 2018). "As Germans Seek News, YouTube Delivers Far-Right Tirades". The New York Times. 15. ^ Munger, Kevin; Phillips, Joseph (2020). "Right-Wing YouTube: A Supply and Demand Perspective". The International Journal of Press/Politics. 27 (1): 186-219. doi:10.1177/1940161220964767. ISSN 1940-1612. S2CID 226339609. 16. ^ Hunter, Lance Y.; Griffith, Candace E.; Warren, Thomas (2020-05-03). "Internet connectivity and domestic terrorism in democracies". International Journal of Sociology. 50 (3): 201-219. doi:10.1080/00207659.2020.1757297. ISSN 0020-7659. S2CID 219059064. 17. ^ Veilleux-Lepage, Yannick; Daymon, Chelsea; Amarasingam, Amarnath (2020). The Christchurch attack report: key takeaways on tarrant's radicalization and attack planning (PDF) (Report). International Centre for Counter-Terrorism. * v * t * e Alt-right * American nationalism * Anti-communism * Antifeminism * Anti-immigration * Antisemitism * Anti-Zionism * "Blood and soil" * Cultural racism * Fourteen Words * Ghost skin * Gun rights * Homophobia * Increase in birth rates Core * Islamophobia * Isolationism * Large families * Nativism * Protectionism * Racism * Right-wing populism * Scientific racism * Transphobia * White ethnostate * White nationalism * White supremacy * Xenophobia * 9/11 denial * Crisis actors * Cultural Marxism * Eurabia * George Soros * Great Replacement * Homosexual agenda Conspiracy * Kalergi Plan theories * Murder of Seth Rich Ideas * New World Order * Pizzagate * QAnon * Sandy Hook shooting * USS Liberty incident * White genocide * Zionist Occupation Government * Accelerationism * Alt-lite * Alt-right pipeline * Alternative media * Boogaloo movement * Christian Identity * Creativity * DezNat * Ethnofuturism * Holocaust denial * Identitarian movement * Incel * Kinism * Manosphere Related * Men Going Their Own Way * National Socialist black metal * Neo-Confederate * Neo-fascism * Neo-nationalism * Neo-Nazism * Northwest Territorial Imperative * Nordic racial paganism/Odalism * Nouvelle Droite * Paleoconservatism * Paleolibertarianism * Radical right * Reactionary + Dark Enlightenment * Third Position * 4chan + /pol/ * 8chan * BitChute * Epik * Gab Alt-tech * Gettr * Minds * Parler * Terrorgram * Truth Social * Voat (defunct) * American Renaissance * Breitbart News * The Daily Stormer * InfoWars * Kingdom Identity Ministries * Kuruc.info * Metapedia * Occidental Observer * The Occidental Quarterly Websites * Rebel News * Red Ice * Reddit (r/The_Donald) * Renegade Tribune Online * The Right Stuff culture * Stormfront * TruNews * Vanguard News Network * VDARE * WorldNetDaily * "Basket of deplorables" * "Beta male" * "Cuckservative" * "Deus vult" * Fashwave * Happy Merchant * "It's okay to be white" * Moon Man * NPC Memes * OK gesture * "Owning the libs" * Pepe the Frog * "Red pill and blue pill" * "Remove Kebab" * "Shadilay" * "Snowflake" * "Social justice warrior" * Trash Doves * Triple parentheses * Undercut * AltRight Corporation * American Freedom Party * Anti-Communist Action * Antipodean Resistance * Arktos Media * Asatru Folk Assembly * Atomwaffen Division * The Base * Deplorable Pride * Diagolon * GRECE * Groypers * Gruppe S * Hundred-Handers * Identity Evropa (defunct) * Identitarian Movement of Austria * Imperium Europa * Lads Society * League of the South Groups * Les Identitaires * London Forum * National Justice Party * National Policy Institute * Nationalist Front * New Century Foundation * Nordic Resistance Movement * Oath Keepers * Patriot Front * Patriot Prayer * Proud Boys * Rise Above Movement * Three Percenters * Thule-Seminar * Traditionalist Worker Party (defunct) * True Blue Crew * Vanguard America * Washington Summit Publishers * Wolves of Vinland * Wotansvolk * Asgardsrei festival * Berkeley protests * Canada convoy protest * Comicsgate * DeploraBall Specific * End Domestic Terrorism rally events * Gamergate and * Justice for J6 rally incidents * Learn to Code * Lorraine Higgins trolling incident * Macron e-mail leaks * Unite the Right rally + Unite the Right 2 * Assault of DeAndre Harris * Attack on Paul Pelosi * Aztec High School shooting * Baerum mosque shooting * Boogaloo murders * Bratislava shooting * Buffalo shooting * 2019 San Diego County attacks Events + Escondido mosque fire + Poway synagogue shooting * Charleston church shooting Attacks * Charlottesville car attack and * Christchurch mosque shootings thwarted * Dallas courthouse shooting plots * El Paso shooting * German coup d'etat plot * Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot * Idar-Oberstein shooting * January 6 United States Capitol attack * Murder of Blaze Bernstein * Murder of Timothy Caughman * Pittsburgh synagogue shooting * Portland train attack * Singapore mosque attacks plot * Zagreb shooting * List of Atomwaffen Division members in the United States who faced criminal charges Lists * Timeline of activities involving the Proud Boys * Timeline of incidents involving QAnon * Virginia Abernethy * James Allsup * Jake Angeli * Andrew Anglin * Andrew "weev" Auernheimer * Steve Bannon * Theodore "Vox Day" Beale * Carl "Sargon of Akkad" Benjamin * Owen Benjamin * Joe Biggs * Don Black * Peter Brimelow * Tor "CatboyKami" Gustafsson Brookes * Christopher Cantwell * Mike Cernovich * Mark Collett * Alain de Benoist * John Derbyshire * Jack Donovan * David Duke * Mike Enoch * Guillaume Faye * Haakon Forwald * Daniel Friberg * Robert "Rob Darken" Fudali * Nick Fuentes * Jean-Francois Gariepy * Ben Garrison * Austin "Augustus Sol Invictus" Gillespie * Tim "Baked Alaska" Gionet * Faith Goldy * Paul Gottfried * Yevhen "Knjaz Varggoth" Hapon * Christopher Paul Hasson * Matthew Heimbach * Michael Hill * Michael A. Hoffman II * Sam Hyde * Charles C. Johnson * Greg Johnson * William Daniel Johnson * Alex Jones * Arthur J. Jones * Jason Jorjani * Ruuben Kaalep People * Tom Kawcyznski * Jason Kessler * Steve King * Elliot Kline * Nick Land * Alex Linder * Lana Lokteff * Laura Loomer * Norman Lowell * Klas Lund * Kevin MacDonald * Jeremy MacKenzie * James Mason * Stephen McNallen * Merlin Miller * Stephen Miller * Hendrik Mobus * Stefan Molyneux * Paul Nehlen * Paul "GypsyCrusader" Nicholas Miller * Ethan Nordean * Jack Posobiec * Paul Ray Ramsey * William Regnery II * Jack Renshaw * Thomas Robb * Colin "Millennial Woes" Robertson * Steve Sailer * Jeff Schoep * Martin Sellner * Simon Sheppard * Lauren Southern * Richard B. Spencer * Brett Stevens * Jared Taylor * Tila Tequila * Hal Turner * Daryush "Roosh V" Valizadeh * Ludovic "Famine" Van Alst * Varg Vikernes * Paul Joseph Watson * Rick Wiles * Lucian Wintrich * Curtis Yarvin * Milo Yiannopoulos * Raivis Zeltits * Antifa * Steven "Destiny" Bonnell II * Ian "Vaush" Kochinski * Harris "Hbomberguy" Brewis * Ian "Innuendo Studios" Danskin * Robert Evans * Emily Gorcenski People * Daryle Lamont Jenkins * Angela Nagle * David Neiwert Opposition * Shaun and * Abigail "Philosophy Tube" Thorn criticism * Natalie "ContraPoints" Wynn * Donna Zuckerberg * Alt-America * Culture Warlords * Devil's Bargain * Feels Good Man Media * I Don't Speak German * It Came From Something Awful * Kill All Normies * Knowledge Fight * White Right: Meeting the Enemy * Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title= Alt-right_pipeline&oldid=1147186093" Categories: * 2010s neologisms * Alt-right * Internet culture * Internet-related controversies * Internet terminology * Internet trolling * Manosphere * Political neologisms * YouTube controversies * Radicalization Hidden categories: * Articles with short description * Short description matches Wikidata * This page was last edited on 29 March 2023, at 10:23 (UTC). * Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0 ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia(r) is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. * Privacy policy * About Wikipedia * Disclaimers * Contact Wikipedia * Mobile view * Developers * Statistics * Cookie statement * Wikimedia Foundation * Powered by MediaWiki Toggle limited content width