In an interview with Leonie Dorn from the Weizenbaum Institute, Dr. Kilian Buehling and Baoning Gong (both Freie Universität/Weizenbaum Institute) explore how right-wing politicians used Telegram during state elections in East Germany to mobilize supporters.
Their ongoing study combines quantitative and qualitative methods to understand how Telegram’s platform architecture enables extremist actors to manipulate their image and spread disinformation and conspiracy theories. For instance, Telegram’s unrestricted public channels function like independent media outlets, providing far-right groups with a direct line to their audience without interference from algorithms or censorship.
Discussing challenges, the researchers highlight the growing difficulty of social media research due to platforms increasingly limiting data access, posing risks for transparency and research on online radicalization.
This interview is part of a series on the theme of “Cohesion in the Networked Society.” You can check the whole conversation in German here.