The Complicity of Mainstream Businesses in Far-Right Merchandise Sales
Fascist Fashion: How Mainstream Businesses Enable the Sale of Far-Right Merchandise - bellingcat 🔗
Fascist fashion, which includes clothing and merchandise that supports far-right ideologies, is often sold online through mainstream payment processors and web services. An investigation by Bellingcat revealed that these far-right groups utilize platforms that typically oppose hate speech to promote their products. Many items feature overt or subtle references to Nazism and racism, often sourced from manufacturers that advocate diversity. Despite companies like GoDaddy and various payment processors having policies against hateful content, they have inadvertently enabled these extremist activities. The far-right groups also leverage social media to promote their merchandise while navigating platform rules to avoid censorship. This situation raises concerns about the complicity of mainstream businesses in the financing and spread of extremist ideologies.
What are "fascist fashion" items?
Fascist fashion items are clothing and merchandise that promote far-right ideologies, often featuring symbols or messages associated with Nazism and racism.
How do mainstream businesses contribute to the sale of far-right merchandise?
Mainstream businesses provide essential services like payment processing, web hosting, and content management that far-right groups exploit to sell their products, despite having policies against supporting hate speech.
Why is social media important for far-right groups selling merchandise?
Social media platforms allow these groups to promote their products and connect with wider audiences while carefully navigating the rules to avoid censorship.