Targeting Germany’s youth

The Querdenken (in English, “lateral thinking”) sprung up last summer – it’s Germany’s anti-vaccine, Covid-denying, anti-lockdown movement, and it’s created a new crop of social media figures.
The baseless conspiracy theories they spread have got more extreme over time – and one man in particular has used parents’ worries about the impact of lockdown on their children as a vehicle for false narratives.
Samuel Eckert, a former evangelical preacher, runs a private Telegram group for under-18s called Samuel Eckert Youngsters. There are more than 300 children involved, all aged between 10-17, despite Telegram only being open to those aged 16 and above.
Eckert says the group is for Covid-sceptic children to meet and support each other. An inside source tells us that the children adore Eckert, post selfies with him - and some even refer to him as “father”.
But the children involved have also been exposed to far-right content, and some have been bullied for their views. What really goes on inside Germany’s secret Telegram group for Covid-sceptic teens?

Presenter: Mike Wendling
Reporter: Jessica Bateman
Producer: Reha Kansara