Topic: Online Strategies of Fascist Ideological Promotion

Topic: Online Strategies of Fascist Ideological Promotion

Personal details

Title Online Strategies of Fascist Ideological Promotion
Description

The digital space has increasingly become a platform for spreading extremist ideologies. This Master thesis will systematically review the literature on online strategies employed by fascist movements to promote their ideology. This includes tactics such as sock puppets, strategic misinformation campaigns, the mobilization of online activists, and the use of both bots and paid operatives. Recent cases, such as the sock puppet scandal on German Wikipedia and the true crime cases involving online harassment, will serve as illustrative examples. The goal is to identify patterns and frameworks that explain how the online world can be weaponized for ideological purposes.

Home institution Department of Computing Science
Associated institutions
Type of work conceptual / theoretical
Type of thesis Master's degree
Author Prof. Dr. Philipp Staudt
Status available
Problem statement
  • Conduct a structured literature review on the online strategies employed by fascist groups to promote their ideology.
  • Identify and categorize the tactics used, including sock puppets, misinformation campaigns, and coordinated harassment.
  • Analyze recent case studies (e.g., German Wikipedia sock puppets, Sikh woman in London, Blake Lively case) to identify common patterns.
  • Develop a framework to understand the strategies and their effectiveness across different platforms.
  • Derive insights and recommendations for identifying and mitigating these strategies.
Requirement
  • Strong analytical skills to conduct a structured literature review and synthesize findings.
  • Ability to develop frameworks that explain complex phenomena.
  • Familiarity with academic databases and proficiency in academic writing.
  • Commitment to high-quality work, including clear documentation and presentation of findings.
Created 26/02/25

Study data

Departments
  • WI - Umwelt und Nachhaltigkeit
Degree programmes
  • Master's Programme Business Informatics
Assigned courses
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