Functions of Digital Communication Spaces in Right-Wing Extremist Radicalization Processes Using the Example of Telegram

The paper examines the role of digital spaces in right-wing extremist radicalization processes, using the example of accelerationist-oriented Telegram groups. Accelerationism, as a political strategy aimed at deliberately exacerbating societal divisions through discursive manipulation or violence, seeks the collapse of liberal and capitalist systems and operates within decentralized networks. The qualitative case study is based on methodological frame work of Grounded Theory and focuses on the question of what functions platforms like Telegram can fulfil in consolidating and intensifying radicalization processes. To do so, the results are compared with research findings on right-wing extremist communication and radicalization on other platforms, in particular gaming platforms, in order to identify platform-specific features of radicalization. While the significance of real-world groups and radical milieus—serving as spaces for social support, identity formation, and normalization of violence—is well-researched, the specific roles of digital spaces in such processes remain largely unclear. This research gap is becoming increasingly relevant due to the growing hybridization of extremist networks that interconnect online and offline dynamics. The presented case study shows that digital spaces fulfil central functions in conveying recognition, knowledge, scene affiliation, and social relationships. Participants use these spaces to generate attention, exchange scene codes and security knowledge, as well as maintain social contacts and rituals. Results demonstrate the playful expression of right-wing identity within digital spaces, which becomes evident through the various functions described above. This outlines the potential role that Telegram groups can fulfil for individual users within ongoing radicalization pathways. The presentation provides new insights into how digital spaces function as an extension of radical milieus. It becomes clear that they play an essential, but not isolated role in radicalization processes; rather, they complement and reinforce physical networks.