“Propaganda is an art. It’s a powerful way of communicating and it typically obscures the truth. When it’s done effectively, it makes it hard to call it out.”
-Pete Simi, Sociologist, Chapman University
The primary targets for white supremacy recruitment are males between the ages of 15 and 30, particularly white males who lack strong social networks or financial security. Men who feel like the world owes them something.
A recent study was done by The Center for Countering Digital Hate, identifying accounts that Instagram’s algorithm actively recommends. The identified accounts post racist content, white supremacy, antisemitism and hate speech. The accounts are also linked to online storefronts that sell extremist, antisemitic and racist merchandise. The fact that the accounts are being algorithmically promoted to users shows that, rather than diverting people away from hateful content, Instagram is actually pushing them even deeper.
In 2025, Meta made major changes to the way they deal with harmful content. Meta withdrew certain guidelines around hateful conduct, no longer automatically detecting and taking direct action where violations have taken place. They have also terminated their policy of auto-removing “borderline content.” Borderline content is defined by Instagram as “content that goes against our Recommendation Guidelines, it may be considered upsetting, offensive or sensitive.” Meta previously would algorithmically demote posts of sensationalist and provocative content. Now, enforcement actions will only occur if a user reports the post. This begs the question: Why would Meta decide to rescind their hateful content guidelines now?
Imran Ahmed, CEO of the CCDH had this to say on the subject;
“Instagram helps extremists make money out of antisemitism and racism. By withdrawing critical safeguards, Meta has allowed hate to flourish. Extremist content, including posts that glorify Nazis, spread Holocaust denial, demonize Jewish people and joke about slavery, is promoted and monetized by their algorithms. Every time someone buys a shirt from one of these hate merchants, it funds more propaganda, and it stains the reputation of every company that enabled the sale.”
Why Does It Matter?
Propaganda is, and always has been, effective. That is why it is made, because it works. Over the last decade, white supremacists, neo-Nazis and racists have become comfortable sharing their unfiltered, unacceptable beliefs out loud. The millions of people who are exposed to hateful imagery and ideas every day on social media now think that those views are completely fine because politicians and the leaders of our country are repeating the same hate. It is like being in an apocalyptic, alternate timeline. Is the damage permanent? Can we find a way to un-radicalize these men? When did all of this become so normalized? Is there any hope?
