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Far-right German rappers spread extremist content on TikTok, investigation reveals
Far-right German-language rappers have been exploiting social media platforms to disseminate extremist rhetoric and disinformation, circumventing hate speech regulations, according to an investigation by AFP.
One notable example involves a rapper called MaKss Damage, whose real name is Julian Fritsch. In a video posted on TikTok, Fritsch drew parallels between the Gaza conflict and Nazi-era Germany, implying that Adolf Hitler’s warnings about Jewish people were justified. During the video, his face transformed into an antisemitic demonic silhouette.
“Back then it was Germany, today it’s Palestine,” rapped Fritsch, displaying a Germanic triangle tattoo commonly associated with far-right movements. “This time, people are questioning and are disgusted. They listen to old painters talk and understand history,” he added, in a thinly veiled reference to Hitler, who had artistic aspirations before his political rise.
The investigation found that Fritsch also promoted an unfounded antisemitic conspiracy theory about the September 11, 2001 attacks, suggesting that the Jewish owner of the World Trade Center avoided the building due to prior knowledge of the attacks.
TikTok removed all of Fritsch’s accounts after being contacted by AFP but did not respond to specific questions about their hate speech policy enforcement measures. Germany’s federal domestic intelligence agency has officially identified Fritsch as a right-wing extremist, and he has been named as a supporter of the far-right party The Third Way.
The growing popularity of these extremist performers comes amid a surge in support for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has gained momentum by capitalizing on hardening attitudes toward immigration. Official figures published in a May interior ministry report indicated a concerning increase in politically motivated crime, including antisemitic offenses.
These rappers represent just part of a broader neo-Nazi movement that has established a significant online presence, including Holocaust deniers. According to Thorsten Hindrichs, a musicologist at the University of Mainz, this movement has become “significantly more radical in recent years.” A report from the domestic intelligence agency of Saxony further confirmed the expansion of this scene within the region.
Despite appearing to violate TikTok’s policies on hate speech, AFP observed that many of these extremist clips remained accessible on the platform.
Bernhard Weidinger, an Austrian expert on right-wing extremism at the Documentation Centre of Austrian Resistance in Vienna, explained to AFP that Fritsch’s songs about Gaza reflect a complex ambivalence within the European far right toward the Muslim world.
“At home, they agitate against ‘Islamisation,’ portraying Islam as incompatible with Western values,” said Weidinger. “But when it comes to foreign policy, they harbor quite the opposite sympathies, especially toward Palestinians,” believing they are “also kept down by Jews and Americans.”
Another prominent figure in this scene is E.Mar, a self-described “patriot” who has amassed more than 96,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. His content frequently targets Germany’s immigration policies, complaining they are “letting anyone enter the country.” Concealing his identity behind a black skull mask and wearing German flag-themed clothing, E.Mar has accumulated hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok.
In one track available across multiple platforms including Apple Music and YouTube, he rapped: “We are ready for war here: current politics makes you feel foreign in your own country.”
When contacted, Spotify stated that it removes songs promoting violent extremism but may allow content to remain online if it “does not explicitly incite violence or hatred against protected groups.”
German researchers have noted that neo-Nazi networks are particularly drawn to TikTok because of its live video functionality, which enables real-time interaction between creators and viewers. Markus Boesch, a researcher at the University of Münster, described these discussions as creating a “more private, intimate situation” that “might turn into some form of extremist recruitment.”
Boesch observed that these interactions often lead users to related groups on platforms with fewer content restrictions, such as Telegram or Discord.
Tom Divon, a social media researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, characterized these TikTok communities as “not massive, but nimble,” frequently migrating between accounts to evade detection. Ciaran O’Connor, a senior analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, noted that while such users expect to be blocked for policy violations, they can “often return to the platform with ease.”
Some commenters employ coded language and symbols to express far-right allegiance while avoiding potential bans, including blue heart emojis to indicate AfD support and lightning bolt symbols referencing the Nazi SS.
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10 Comments
Comparing the Gaza conflict to Nazi Germany is an appalling false equivalence. This rapper is using social media to push a dangerous, distorted view of history.
Antisemitic and Nazi-sympathizing content has no place on social media. Spreading this kind of disinformation and extremism is unacceptable.
Absolutely. We must stand up against these hateful narratives and ensure they do not gain a foothold, especially among impressionable young audiences.
Thinly veiled references to Hitler and the Holocaust are deeply disturbing. This kind of antisemitic rhetoric has no place in the public discourse.
Sad to see extremist rhetoric and disinformation spreading on social media. We must be vigilant against hateful ideologies that seek to divide us.
This is a concerning trend. Social media platforms need to do more to combat the spread of hate speech and conspiracy theories, especially from fringe groups.
Agreed. Allowing these views to proliferate online can have real-world consequences. Platforms must enforce their policies more stringently.
It’s disturbing to see how these fringe figures are exploiting social media algorithms to amplify their extremist views. Platforms need to be more proactive in addressing this.
Allowing neo-Nazi rappers to spew antisemitic conspiracy theories on social media platforms is unacceptable. This content must be swiftly removed and the accounts banned.
This is a concerning example of how social media can be weaponized to spread disinformation and hateful ideologies. We must remain vigilant against such tactics.