Quantifying extremism: UK riot-related far-right Telegram networks
Data-driven analysis of ~45,000 messages during the 2024 UK riots mapping far-right Telegram networks.
Executive summary
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ISD and CASM Technology analyzed close to 45,000 messages posted across 55 British far-right Telegram channels between July 19 and August 8, 2024, using natural language processing to identify frequently discussed individuals and groups and to trace patterns of cross-platform link-sharing following the Southport attack and subsequent UK riots.
The study found posting activity on these channels rose 327% in the ten days after the Southport attack, with users sharing over 400 links to other Telegram channels and more than 3,000 links to mainstream platforms including YouTube, X, and TikTok; one YouTube link set alone was shared over 6,000 times. Messages referencing riot locations in Bristol, Leeds, and Manchester appeared before unrest occurred there, suggesting coordination rather than spontaneous action. One channel, "SOUTHPORT WAKE UP," grew from 44 to 15,000 members within days, with a cluster of accounts bearing Chinese-character names joining within minutes of each other, pointing to possible inauthentic amplification.
The report concludes that far-right mobilization operated through an interconnected, cross-platform ecosystem rather than isolated channels, describing the period as an unusual moment of coordination for an otherwise fragmented movement.
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