Dutch counter-terror office warns of extreme-right online memes

Online memes featuring extreme-right content are rarely punishable by law, and it is hard to do anything to prevent them, the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV) has said. The organization studied the use of extreme right messaging in an analysis of memes, like photos, videos and GIFs with text or audio.

The NCTV added that it is hard to show exactly what these memes' meanings and effects are. “But they do contribute to the normalization of extreme right ideas, (online) group, and identity-forming, and they serve as a possible inspiration for violence to some,” the NCTV said.

The organization warned that these developments “could undermine the functionality of the democratic legal order and national security.”

Because memes are meant to be funny and, sometimes, innocent, they can convey an extreme-right message in an easily accessible way. The NCTV said that this is also how they reach young people.

The counter-terror office said that the makers of the extreme-right memes adapt to the type of platform. The stricter the control is on messages, the more subtly the extreme-right message is shown in the meme.

“This is the only way that an extreme-right meme can reach the bigger platforms, bypass moderation, and eventually speak to a bigger crowd,” said the NCTV. They added that there are explicit messages and violent memes regularly on websites where there is no moderation.

The NCTV said that it is vital to recognize extreme-right memes and make society more resilient against them. The NCTV is not suggesting any concrete measures; that would be up to the politicians, a spokesperson said.