Julia Ebner, 32, researches the growth of radical ideas in our societies. Three years ago, she published Going Dark: The Secret Social Lives of Extremists. Now, she has just released a kind of second part – Going Mainstream: How Extremists are Taking Over – which discusses how radical ideas have moved to the center of society, with extremist parties achieving solid electoral results.
Technology is a fundamental tool in this process: dark forums, hidden networks, memes and algorithms that are all about making money. Ebner – who has worked with the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue – sat down with EL PAÍS to discuss the importance of the ins and outs of how tech plays a big role in extremist movements.
Question. How have extreme ideas been sneaking into the center of society?
Answer. What I’ve seen is that – since COVID – [much of] the population in liberal…
