HetzJaeger

A campaign to create hack algorithmic music discovery algorithms to promote an anti-Nazi message and pressure audio platforms to stop hosting Nazi content

Active

Germany

Neo-Nazis are more present in Germany than they have been for a long time. Music has always been the entry point into the scene for many. „Most of them were somehow recruited through music.” Philip Schlaffer, Ex-Nazi Unfortunately, today everyone can get Nazi songs as easily as never before: on music streaming platforms like Spotify, SoundCloud and Co. The situation is even worse: the platforms’ algorithms actively spread these songs and bands. Those who listen to Nazi music once get recommended more and more – and the platforms do nothing. We turn the tables and let the algorithms work against the extreme right. To do this, we developed a Trojan Nazi band: HetzJaeger. So perfectly tuned to the primary parameters of algorithms that it is automatically played to all listeners of far-right music. We started with a teaser, trained the algorithms with it for a month and released the complete song on the 89th anniversary of Hitler’s seizure of power.