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Domestic Terrorists and Militias Hiding in Plain Sight on Social Media Platforms To Recruit, Organize, and TerrorizeWASHINGTON, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Social media platforms are allowing domestic extremists that peddle the possibility of violent action to organize, recruit, and plan, a new investigation—The Domestic Extremist Next Door -- from the Digital Citizens Alliance (Digital Citizens) and the Coalition for a Safer Web (CSW) revealed today. Digital Citizens and CSW researchers found that domestic terrorists and militia easily penetrate social media platforms' defenses to share propaganda and incite violence. Federal prosecutors have shared evidence showing the plotters of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol used various social media platforms to coordinate during that day. Members and chapters of the Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, Proud Boys, and Boogaloo Bois, groups all accused of taking part in the planning and execution of the January 6 attack, continue to leverage social media platforms to spread their violent ideologies. Despite public vows to crack down on extremist activity, social media platforms still seem to be unable or unwilling to stop many groups from new activity or remove older videos and posts promoting militia activities. "It is abundantly clear that social media platforms provide domestic extremists with the ability to organize and trade intelligence," said Tom Galvin, executive director of Digital Citizens. "If social media platforms didn't alter their actions after January 6, what will it take? Waiting to take down accounts after a violent act is too late, and the platforms know that. But, they don't seem willing to make the investments to protect consumers and the country." Extremist and militia groups have proven to be savvy marketers across the platforms, even hijacking seemingly innocuous terms and hashtags like "SavetheChildren" and "Patriots" to spread misinformation used to indoctrinate and radicalize followers. Also, the groups had distinct strategies that sometimes differed by platform. Examples the researchers found include:
"Last month, the CEOs of Google, Facebook, and Twitter testified before Congress that they were taking steps to address extremism on their platforms. They made it sound like 'they got this,' but as we dove in and did the research, we found that was not the case," said Eric Feinberg, vice president of content moderation at CSW. "The platform's technologies are either inept, or the companies are just choosing to ignore a lot of content that promotes extremist behavior and thinking. The companies do enough to put on a good show for policymakers and the media but do not do enough to protect users. It's not that hard to find and take down this violent content." A majority of Americans hold digital platforms at least partially responsible for the violent riot that overran the U.S. Capitol, according to a new research survey:
Americans overwhelmingly want punishment for the Capitol rioters, with 81 percent supporting prosecution of those who made threats, engaged in violence or destroyed property (as opposed to those who engaged in peaceful demonstration that day). The Digital Citizens survey of 1,353 Americans was conducted via SurveyMonkey on April 15 and has a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percent. Domestic extremism is not a problem that is going to fade away. It will take significant coordination among social media platforms and law enforcement to prevent violence. Digital Citizens and CSW outlined three core recommendations for reducing the ability for extremists to hide in plain sight including:
About Digital Citizens Alliance Based in Washington, DC, the Digital Citizens Alliance counts among its supporters: private citizens, the health, pharmaceutical, and creative industries, as well as online safety experts and other communities focused on Internet safety. Visit us at digitalcitizensalliance.org. About The Coalition for a Safer Web For more information, please contact Adam Benson, Vrge Strategies at 202.999.9104 or [email protected]. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/domestic-terrorists-and-militias-hiding-in-plain-sight-on-social-media-platforms-to-recruit-organize-and-terrorize-301271203.html SOURCE Digital Citizens Alliance |