Propaganda with violent videos How Swiss right-wing extremists recruit minors
Swiss right-wing extremists are looking for new followers on the internet. They are not only targeting adults, but also young people. The network uses dozens of accounts on Tiktok to circumvent bans.
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- The far-right group "Junge Tat" is specifically recruiting minors with propaganda videos. Even 15-year-olds are targeted.
- The right-wing extremists use over 30 different Tiktok accounts to "like" themselves.
- Other radical right-wing organizations and parties also use the same strategy.
A network of over 30 Tiktok accounts specifically recruits minors for the far-right group Junge Tat. The "Republik" analyzed the network for six months and was itself recruited by the extremists.
The undercover research shows: Behind the supposedly harmless profiles is a systematic attempt to radicalize young people - with harsh propaganda, fitness videos and a promise of belonging.
The Tiktok profiles have names such as "the.swissboys", "aktivejugendschweiz" or "aktivismus.rechts". Almost all of them share Junge Tat content: short clips of political actions, martial arts training or ideological explanatory videos.
Undercover research as a 15-year-old
The messages are direct: "Get active - no excuses", "Defend Switzerland!". As the "Republik" reports, the aim is clear: the accounts are intended to recruit young people, often minors. In the comments, questions such as: "At what age can you join?" pile up. - The answers are often simply: "15."
The "Republic" used a fictitious identity to pretend to be a 15-year-old schoolboy from Thun and made contact with the right-wing extremists. "Jeli", a member of the Junge Tat, promptly got in touch, claiming to be a contact from the region.
According to the "Republik", it is highly likely that he is J. M., a well-known 25-year-old activist from Oberaargau. He suggested a meeting including boxing training - the fictitious 14-year-old friend of the undercover reporter would also have been welcome. An age limit does not seem to be a real hurdle for the group.
Right-wing extremists like themselves with multiple accounts
Technically, the right-wing extremists circumvent platform rules through so-called "ban evasion". Instead of communicating centrally via official channels, they operate many small accounts that are similar in tone and style and support each other with comments and likes.
This strategy makes the Junge Tat particularly visible on Tiktok - even though much of this content actually violates the platform's guidelines.
As the "Republik" shows, this method works in a similar way to the AfD in Germany, whose Tiktok strategy was uncovered in 2023 through research by "Correctiv" and WDR.
Junge Tat did not respond to an inquiry from "Die Republik". Instead, it published a propaganda statement on its own channels.
