Software would allow authorities to act immediately if illegal far-right songs are played on radio, at clubs or in public

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

German authorities are considering equipping police with a smartphone app that would instantly recognise illegal neo-Nazi songs.

Already dubbed the "Nazi Shazam", after the music identification programme, the software would allow authorities to react instantly if far-right songs are played on radio stations, at concerts, club nights or demonstrations.

The interior ministers of Germany's 16 regions will discuss the new practice at a meeting in Osnabrück this week.

Considered by experts as a "gateway drug" to the neo-Nazi scene, 1,090 pieces of music with a far-right or racist message are currently indexed by the Federal Review Board for Media Harmful to Minors, restricting their sale and making them inaccessible to people under 18. They include traditional Nazi marching songs as well as more recent songs by bands such as Hate Society, Zyklon B or the British group Skrewdriver.

Simone Rafael, of the website Network Against Nazis, said he approved of the initiative and that it would help police or watchdogs attending far-right events.

"Music is indeed a weak spot through which young people can easily be recruited into neo-Nazi circles," she told the Guardian. "A song can plug teenagers straight into the ideology conveyed through the lyrics."

In 2004, far-right groups tried to recruit young people by handing out CD compilations in schoolyards and youth centres.

Commonly referred to as "rechtsrock", neo-Nazi songs are often musically diverse, ranging from punk to heavy metal, and from folk to rap. "We've come across pretty much everything but far-right swing bands," said far-right expert Bernd Wagner.

Rafael said the only problem was that many far-right groups had already learned to avoid using the songs on the state index, instead favouring newer folk songs by nationalist singer-songwriters, such as Frank Rennicke, or German punk songs with a broader anti-establishment message.