Telegram, being a peer-to-peer encrypted channel, allows the free circulation of contents. This is an essential feature that allows people to communicate without surveillance. Starting from this premise, sample packs related to Pepe the frog were analysed and clustered in order to map how the basic format of this meme are declined in many variants to share different ideologies.
Main Findings
Telegram is a no-censorship channel but Pepe is mainly used as an element of fun and irony.
Trump and the 2016 American elections are the most popular themes related to memetic warfare.
Stereotyped graphic elements (Trump hair or an AK-47) characterize Pepeās basic design, making a clear association with an ideology.
Stickers about memetic warfare feature a high amount of downloads, especially those that ācamouflageā among the funny images in the most popular packages.
Protocol
