The crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the migration policies of various countries around the world, lead to the radicalization of the most marginal social groups, including right - wing extremists. Due to the development of information technologies, right-wing extremists receive new channels for spreading their destructive ideas. Since the main users of data networks are young people, primarily schoolchildren and students, the prevention of extremism in public social media is particularly relevant. The authors of the article believe that an effective tool for preventing extremism is the collection and processing of data on the activity of right-wing radicals in social networks. Such work, according to the authors, can not only increase the effectiveness of identifying extremists on the Internet, but also establish productive interaction with the main target audience of social media - young people. In the interests of sustainable development, it is necessary to cooperate with authorities, technical specialists, and educational institutions in order to develop a unified policy to counter extremism both in the Sverdlovsk region and in Russian Federation and around the world. © The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2020.