fact finder
As of: 09/30/2021 1:36 p.m.
According to one analysis, the spread of disinformation about alleged electoral fraud is mainly limited to right-wing extremist and conspiratorial ideological groups. In these milieus, however, skepticism and hostility towards democracy could become entrenched.
After the federal election, experts and institutes evaluate the spread of disinformation. There were actually serious mishaps in the House of Representatives elections in Berlin, which are currently being publicly processed – But around the elections there were also unsubstantiated rumors and conspiracy legends about systematic electoral fraud.
The Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) has been analyzing the spread and effects of disinformation for years. In a recent study, the institute found that various narratives and lies around the election were spread.
In the report, the experts emphasize that the 2020 US presidential election has shown how damaging misinformation and disinformation about the integrity of democratic elections can be for society as a whole and trust in democratic processes. It is therefore important that Europe remain vigilant to similar trends, even if they do not reach the same extent.
Overall, the online community in Germany has shown itself to be resistant to the delegitimization of the elections and their results – both at the federal level, as well as at the state or local level. In contrast to the USA, the open online dissemination of doubts about the election result in Germany is limited to ideological conspiracy and right-wing extremist circles and groups from AfD supporters, the report says.
Greater trust in the media
Several structural factors such as greater trust in the media and an electoral and party system that is less prone to polarization may have contributed to this, say the experts. However, further research is needed to better understand the extent to which the attitudes of the broader population towards the electoral process are influenced.
The analysts point out that even beyond election day, various narratives would be linked with one another – such as the alleged election fraud with the narrative of the “Corona dictatorship”, anti-Semitic conspiracy narratives and a general distrust of established media and political institutions.
Warning of hostility towards democracy
Although the disinformation surrounding the integrity of the federal election largely remained in the communities of AfD supporters and right-wing extremist online groups – and therefore would not have any far-reaching direct effects on general attitudes towards the election process in Germany – its repeated dissemination could certainly have a long-term effect warn the experts. In this way, skepticism and hostility towards democracy could become entrenched in these circles.
The ISD has presented several studies on disinformation and hateful content in Germany, for example to digital violence against politicians during the election campaign, in addition “Business with the hate – How online payment service providers are used by the right-wing extremist scene“or one Background report for the project “Countering radicalization in right-wing extremist online subcultures”. The ISD also provides analyzes in English about Islamist terror groups like the “Islamic State”.
Rumors of election fraud are said to destroy trust
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