this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2025
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/40188039

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Left-wing extremists have been showing "substantial activity on Lemmygrad.ml" with an accompanying increase in toxicity, a new joint study published by Binghamton University and Cyprus University of Technology on Arxiv says.

The researchers also identified posts that support authoritarian regimes, endorse the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and feature anti-Zionist and antisemitic content.

"Overall, our findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of political extremism within decentralized social networks and emphasize the necessity of analyzing both ends of the political spectrum in research," the researchers conclude.

[...]

Users on Lemmygrad.ml frequently discuss [...] China and North Korea, with many posts expressing support for them.

[...]

Discussions [on Lemmygrad.ml] on the Israel-Palestine conflict primarily criticize Israel. While many posts condemn antisemitism, [the authors] also encounter numerous posts that extend beyond criticizing Israel, displaying anti-Zionism and even antisemitism.

[...]

[The study] results show that users of Lemmygrad.ml frequently share posts that support authoritarian regimes, as seen in their support for China, North Korea, and Russia. Moreover, their support can extend beyond backing these authoritarian regimes, even cheering on their violent actions, as evidenced by their posts on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, we observe anti-Zionist and antisemitic behaviors, which show similarities to right-wing extremism.

[...]

Our analysis suggests a concerning endorsement of authoritarian actions and extremist rhetoric on Lemmygrad.ml, further indicating that left-wing extremist communities on decentralized platforms should receive more attention from the academic community.

[...]

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[–] vivendi@programming.dev 6 points 5 days ago

A no-name, no-credit, recently (and suspiciously) funded university in Cyprus (also known as Israel's summer vacation center)

Do y'all believe anything with a vague aura of credibility? Western propaganda is excellent

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 24 points 1 week ago (2 children)

In our analysis, we aim to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on the Decentralized Web, pointing out the double-edged sword it represents in terms of promoting democratic discourse on the one hand and enabling extremist content on the other. In doing so, we call for a more nuanced understanding of the impacts of Web decentralization and the need for innovative governance mechanisms that safeguard against the proliferation of extremist ideologies while upholding the principles of freedom and democracy that are the basis of the Decentralized Web.

Whoever these researchers are, they've discovered that people on the self-described Marxist instances are communists. Well done! And they want to shut down the proliferation of tankie views alongside "anti-Zionism" and "anti-Semitism". Seems like there may be a bit of an agenda here that goes beyond disinterested academic research.

[–] scintilla@crust.piefed.social 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I am a communist. I don't like MLs because they make communists look like the american propoganda version of what a communist is.

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 week ago

I feel similarly. They're useful idiots and counterproductive. But they kind of take care of themselves because no one likes listening to them. Even people who are attracted to socialism or communism don't like them. It doesn't feel the same as the situation with fascism today, where it seems to suck people from all over the spectrum into its vortex.

[–] Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

I honestly don't understand how you come up with this summary. But assuming you are upholding universal human rights as most of us do, we shall stand united, as the study suggests, to "safeguard against the proliferation of extremist ideologies while upholding the principles of freedom and democracy".

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

If you uphold universal human rights you have to be anti-Zionist. I have no idea how you can argue otherwise. Zionism is a genocidal settler ideology and fundamentally incompatible with universality.

They're mowing down aid seekers. They target doctors and journalists. They're starving children to death. They bomb hospitals, schools, bakeries, everything needed to maintain life in Gaza. They're tearing down olive trees and destroying solar panels and bombing water treatment facilities. Their goal is total ethnic cleansing, either by relocation or extermination.

This is the logical conclusion of Zionism.

Zionism is Manifest Destiny is Lebensraum.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 3 points 4 days ago

Moreover, this study uses the Zionist definition of antisemitism. Antizionist!=antisemitic. Also, Palestinians are semites.

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 week ago

Sorry, I was jumping to conclusions and that wasn't fair. I respect the goals you have and agree it's important to be alert to trends in online discourse.

[–] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago

Lemmygrad isn't left wing. It's authoritarianism with a different way to take people's money.