Unmasking Hidden Far-Right Symbols: How Extremist Groups Exploit Emojis Online

BERLIN, Germany – A recent video by journalist Enrique Anarte sheds light on a concerning trend: the use of seemingly innocuous emojis by far-right groups as hidden symbols to circumvent content moderation on social media platforms. Anarte, known for his coverage of mis/disinformation, detailed several examples prevalent in Germany. According to Anarte, the blue heart emoji (💙) has become a subtle indicator of sympathy for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which is often associated with that color. He also highlighted the "OK" hand gesture emoji (👌), which he states symbolizes the "White Power" movement. "The far-right has become very good at dodging content moderation policies on social media, and they've come up with hidden symbols that sometimes are hard to identify," Anarte explained in the video. Other examples provided include the red cross mark (❌), which can represent a swastika, and a sequence of three waving emojis (👋👋👋), which Anarte asserts symbolizes the Hitler salute. He noted that the specific use of these hidden symbols can vary significantly across different countries and cultures. The video serves as a crucial reminder for social media users and platforms to remain vigilant about the evolving tactics employed by extremist groups to spread their ideologies online.