I spenttwoyearsundercoverin a rangeofdifferentmovementsfromjihadistgroups, isishackinggroups, forexample, onjihadistbridegroupstoconspiracytheorynetworkstomisogynistgroupsandalsowhitenationalistsandneoNazigroupswhere I couldreallysee a patternacrossallofthesemovementswhenjoiningthembothonlineandoffline.
Soitstartedwith, obviously, withrecruitingnewmembers, Then a hugepartofthatradicalizationprocesswasnotreallytheideologicalindoctrination, butreallythesocialization, thecreationoffcounterculturesoffalmostoffEngland, referencesininsideofjokes.
Theyalmostcreatetheirownlanguageineachofthosegroupsthat I joinnetworking.
We, ofcourse, seeanincreasinglyglobalcommunityofpeoplefromfringecommunitieson a locallevel.
Joiningforceson a globalscale, too, haveaninfluenceonpoliticsorplan, uh, intimidationcampaigns.
Unfortunately, we'veseen a rangeofalsoviolentprotestshappeninginthelastfewyearsfromCharlottesvilleRally, whichledtothedeathof a counterprotestofandthenintheend, thereis, unfortunately, alsooftenthelaststage, whichis a taxthatcancomeeitherintheformoffhackingattacksagainusingonlinetools.
Andoneofthefirstgroupsthat I joinedandwhattherecruitingprocesswasactuallyquiteinterestingisthewhitenationalistpanEuropeangroupgenerationidentitythatspreads, especiallytheconspiracytheoryoffthegreatreplacement.
Theyhad a certainstage, had 10,000 ofmemberswhowerecoordinatinginthisclosedgamingchatapplicationtothenattackpoliticalaccountsonTwitterortorunbiggercampaignstoehijackhashtags, forexample, thewholethewholeprocessoff, settingup a kindofstructurethatwouldbeappealingThionewmemberswhomightnotevenhaveaninterestinthepoliticalsideofit, butreallyby, forexample, givingthemincentivestructures.
Theyalmosthad a militarylikesystemwhereyoucouldbepromotedto a higherrank.
Ifyoudid a goodjobincarryingout, forexample, a campaignagainstagainstthepoliticianoragainstthejournalistthatreportedcriticallyaboutthefarrightpartyinGermanyaboutthe A f D.
Onethat I facedmyselfwhenTommyRobinson, thefounderoftheEnglishDefenseLeague, cametomypreviousoffice.
I wasworkingatQuilliambackthenandhadpublishedanarticleinTheGuardianthatexplicitlymentionedTommyRobinson, andhethenstormedtheofficeandlivestreamedeverythingtohisback.
Then 300,000 followersonTwitterwhichkickedoffbighatecampaignagainstmeandtheorganizationandeventuallyalsoledtomebeingdismissedbytheorganization.