Neo-Nazis using the internet to recruit young followers

NEO-NAZIS are using the internet to attract and recruit young people to the scene and the number of far-right websites in Germany has more than tripled in the past four years, according to a study.

Germany's family ministry showed a drastic increase in the number of sites run by extremists, many of them using a blend of sophisticated programming and a media-like approach aimed at attracting fresh recruits to the neo-Nazi scene.

"The tendency is worrying," family minister Renate Schmidt said in a statement. "Far-right extremists are using emotionally charged arguments to appeal to the feelings and fears of young people. At the same time, they are offering oversimplified answers with a far-right slant."