This report builds on earlier research by the Australian Institute of Criminology and provides an updated national picture of exposure to fringe and radical content and groups among a large sample of online Australians. Results from a survey of 9,951 respondents conducted in late 2024 were compared with the results of a similar survey conducted in late 2022. A significant number of online Australians were exposed to fringe and radical content online in 2024. Results showed that the rate of exposure to fringe and radical content and groups was lower than in 2022, as was the proportion of people who intentionally sought out the content. However, even accounting for methodological changes, respondents were much more likely to say they had seen content depicting, describing or advocating for violence and content calling for violent action. Respondents who intentionally viewed fringe and radical content did so more frequently and persistently in 2024 than in 2022. Algorithmic suggestions from social media platforms played an increasingly important role in first time and repeated exposure in 2024. Content that described, depicted and advocated violence was most likely to be viewed on Facebook, YouTube and X, but the likelihood of seeing this content varied depending on the frequency of platform use and intent of the user. Our report shows that fringe and radical content remains readily available on mainstream social media platforms and that Australian internet users are regularly exposed to violent content.
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Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Abstract
- Executive summary
- Exposure to fringe and radical content online
- Content describing, depicting or advocating violence
- Sharing fringe and radical content
- Frequency of and pathway to exposure
- Access to fringe and radical groups
- Introduction
- Radicalisation and the online environment
- Method
- Recruitment, sampling and weighting
- Analysis
- Limitations
- Exposure to fringe and radical content online
- Relationship between platform use and exposure to fringe and radical content describing, depicting or advocating violence
- Types and aims of fringe and radical content seen online
- Sharing fringe and radical content
- Participation in fringe and radical groups
- Changes between 2022 and 2024
- Exposure to fringe and radical content online
- Reported aim of the content and reasons for access
- Sharing fringe and radical content
- Participation in fringe and radical groups
- Conclusion
- References
- Appendix A: Sample characteristics
- Appendix B: Comparison with population data