Confessions of a former alt-right YouTuber

The methods are simple: focus on conflict, feed the algorithm, make sure whatever you produce reinforces a narrative, and don’t worry about whether it is true.

For over two years Caolan Robertson produced videos for a who’s who of the far right, but says he has since come to regret his role in the rise of online extremism. The New York Times

Cade Metz

Apr 22, 2021 – 6.30am

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In 2018, a far-right activist, Tommy Robinson, posted a video to YouTube claiming he had been attacked by an African migrant in Rome.

The thumbnail image and eight-word title promoting the video indicated Robinson was assaulted by a black man outside a train station. Then, in the video, Robinson punched the man in the jaw, dropping him to the ground.