The European Commission has published a report explaining how humour, satire, and memes are being used as online recruitment techniques by the alt-right. The 16-page document, released this week, goes to great lengths to describe what a meme is, which ones are popular, and what can be done to stop their vicious spread. It even kindly explains why “specialised knowledge” is required to “cope with the complex dynamics of humorous memes”…

To counter the weaponisation of meme culture, the report offers a few recommendations, including:

• Improving literacy
• Monitoring for any dangerous new memes
• Dispelling meme myths
• “Not taking the bait” of certain “exaggerated” material (specifics unforthcoming)
• Staying up to speed with online developments

Guido can point the EC towards a few useful resources…