The Domestic Extremist Next Door
The DomesticExtremist Next DoorHow Digital Platforms Enablethe War Against AmericanGovernmentApril 2021
Table of ContentsExecutive Summary2Platforms Enabling Militias Advocating Disruptionand Violence6How Sympathizers With the Capitol AttackersPeddle Propaganda10Connecting Those With Common Purpose - How Hateand Violence Criss-Cross The Platforms17The Militias on the Platforms23The Boogaloo Bois23Oath Keepers31Proud Boys35Three Percenters41Conclusion49The Domestic Extremist Next DoorHow Digital Platforms Enable the War Against American Government1
Executive SummaryDigital platforms enabled the disturbing rise of domesticextremism, culminating with the January 6 attack on the U.S.Capitol. Militia groups use social media networks to planoperations, recruit new members, and spread anti-democracypropaganda, a new Digital Citizens Alliance (Digital Citizens) and Coalitionfor a Safer Web (CSW) investigation has found.Taking a page from Jihadists, these extremist groups operate along thefringes of where platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, andInstagram will let them. Federal prosecutors investigating the Capitol riotrevealed how militia groups used social media platforms to coordinateand prepare for possible conflict with Antifa.1 But the joint Digital Citizens/CSW investigation found the use of platforms goes well beyond tacticalplanning. Militias rely on the platforms to share their beliefs and ideologyand recruit new members. The militias get a boost from their ideologicalsimpatico with mis/disinformation groups like QAnon, which providesoxygen that militias use to fan the flames.The anti- government militia movement first emerged after the 1992 RubyRidge standoff, the 1993 Waco siege, and the Oklahoma City Bombing onApril 19, 1995. After Oklahoma City, U.S. law enforcement cracked downon domestic terrorism and the militia movement. In 1996, the SouthernPoverty Law Center (SPLC) reported 858 militia groups with up to 50,000active members.2 The 9/11 terrorist attacks shifted focus to globalthreats and led to a dormant period for militias. But domestic extremistssuch as the Proud Boys, the Boogaloo Bois, the Three Percenters, andthe Oath Keepers have reinvigorated the movement – aided in large partby digital platforms. In 2020, according to research by The WashingtonPost, the number of domestic terrorism incidents in the United Stateshad doubled from what it was in 1995.321Melendez, P. (2021, March 24). ‘Crush them For Good’: New Messages Suggest Oath Keepers,PROUD boys Made ‘Alliance’ ahead of riots. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from ots2Korosec, T. (2011, July 21). Oklahoma bombing was beginning of end For militias. Retrieved April 15,2021, from 502125.php3Robert O’Harrow, A. (2021, April 12). The rise of Domestic extremism in America. Retrieved April 15,2021, from ractive/2021/domestic-terrorism-data/?utm campaign wp post mostThe Domestic Extremist Next DoorHow Digital Platforms Enable the War Against American Government
Digital platforms have allowed domestic extremists that peddle thepossibility of violent action against a government they disagree withto hide in the shadows of the physical world while using the platformsto organize and recruit. Even Timothy McVeigh has found “new life” onsocial media. On April 19, 2017, Jeremy Christian of Portland posted onFacebook: “May all the Gods Bless Timothy McVeigh — a TRUE PATRIOT!!!”A little more than a month later, Christian slashed the throats of two menwho defended two Muslim women that Christian had been harassingwhile on a commuter train.4 Christian would have been described as anoutlier. However, post-January social media posts have to be viewed aspossible precursors of violence.The events of Jan. 6 also spotlight a gap in U.S. law: the lack of penaltiesfor acts termed “domestic terrorism.” While what amounts to domesticterrorism is defined by federal law, there are currently no specific penaltiesfor engaging in it. Because of that gap, the actors who engage in violentacts designed to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence thepolicy of government by intimidation or coercion, or affect the conduct ofa government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping are notcharged as domestic terrorists.5It is not a coincidence that Digital Citizens and CSW published this report onApril 19. It’s become a symbolic day for many in the militia movement. It’s thedate of the disastrous finale of the Waco stand-off, where a fire engulfedthe Branch Davidian compound and led to the deaths of 76 women, men,and children. Two years later, McVeigh chose April 19 to detonate a truckbomb outside an Oklahoma City federal building, killing 168 people.6More than two decades later, America must confront a domesticextremism crisis. That starts with understanding the motivations, strategy,and tactics of domestic extremists such as Proud Boys, Oath Keepers,Three Percenters, and Boogaloo Bois – and how they use social media.While there are legitimate questions about extremists’ activities on bothsides of our political spectrum, researchers focused on groups allegedlyinvolved in the January 6th attack on the Capitol.4Zremski, J. (2017, August 15). For some Alt-right EXTREMISTS, bomber Timothy McVeigh is a hero.Retrieved April 15, 2021, from ticle 06914112-86a5-5289-b300-c47a75cfa51b.html5Weber, McCaul, Cuellar Introduce bill to combat domestic terrorism. (2019, August 15). RetrievedApril 15, 2021, from ocumentID 5406History.com Editors. (2009, December 16). Oklahoma city bombing. Retrieved April 15, 2021, city-bombingThe Domestic Extremist Next DoorHow Digital Platforms Enable the War Against American Government3
A Digital Citizens/CSW analysis of social media platforms’ efforts tocrack down on fringe groups that played a vital role in the Capitol attackfound:4mQAnon, The Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, and theBoogaloo Bois,- domestic extremists that allegedly promoted andled the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6 - relied heavily onmajor social media platforms to spread their messages. YouTube,Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Telegram were used torecruit followers and organize the January 6th attack.mFacebook, and its video and photo sharing social media serviceInstagram, have taken some obvious action to prevent QAnonfollowers from recruiting, organizing, and sharing misinformation.Most notably, the company has “deadened” some hashtags, stoppingcurrent and potential followers from using hashtags to search forposts. This effort seems to have some effect, but Q’s followers findways around Facebook’s defensive measures. Facebook appears tohave had more success keeping militias from utilizing the platform- taking down some pages from organizations accused of playing aprominent role in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. However, someindividuals still have found ways to work around Facebook’s efforts.mCompared to Facebook, YouTube has been relatively lax in its effortsto scrub its platform of domestic extremism. While many of theJanuary 6th-involved groups have not been as active since the attack,videos posted before January 6 are still visible. The videos are not asexplicit about their politics as what researchers found on TikTok andTelegram, but the videos are effective propaganda.mMilitias often try to appear to be “civic-minded” organizationslearning about battlefield first aid and giving members a chanceto discuss the Constitution. Others glorify the use of firearms andtactical exercises that looks like something an army would do whilepreparing for battle. Many of the videos seem designed to allow themilitias to downplay their civil unrest role and position themselves aspatriots and defenders of first responders.mTwitter is a forum where Q followers and militia members can crosspollinate and share ideas. Researchers found posts with hashtagsused to reach multiple domestic extremist groups. Twitter does notappear to have “deadened” entire hashtags the way Facebook has.The Domestic Extremist Next DoorHow Digital Platforms Enable the War Against American Government
mTikTok is the site for more openly political videos glorifying militiaactivity and aspirations. Whereas some YouTube videos show themilitias in a different light, TikTok is where members who want to bemore aggressive can share their videos. Much like TikTok offers users aspace for more outspoken and divisive videos than YouTube, Telegramgives militia members a place to take more overtly racist messagingthan what Twitter allows.Since January 6, followers of some of the most prominent fringe groupskeep their movement thriving on social media networks, even as othersare arrested and charged with crimes. Many of the messages are angry,hateful, and anti-government.mMilitias and mis/disinformation groups show a strategic savvy aboutspreading propaganda on social media. The alt-right organizationshave shifted from using terms associated with the groups (like QAnon’s“#WWG1WGA”) to more innocuous handles like “#savethechildren” orseveral variations using the word “patriots.”mSince January 6, militia members seem to be experimenting withdifferent ways to avoid detection. Hashtags on tweets seem to be lesscommon, while researchers found some using pictures and videosthat resonate with followers and attract new audiences. Those picturescan also be more problematic for platforms to detect. The platforms’artificial intelligence (A.I.) doesn’t always see nuances in language.mWhile some militias mock and belittle QAnon followers, researchersfound some examples of QAnon and other militia groups sharingsimilar messages and even the same propaganda (with hashtagscommonly accepted by several domestic extremist groups helpingmove the messaging along).As disturbing as the images of January 6 were, policymakers must viewthem as a symptom of a broader malady: a belief that violence is theonly path to change. And given the serious implications of that mindset,Americans must demand that digital platforms prevent militias fromspreading their hateful ideologies.The Domestic Extremist Next DoorHow Digital Platforms Enable the War Against American Government5
Platforms EnablingMilitias AdvocatingDisruption andViolenceIMAGE 1WVideo in support of QAnon on Facebook from February 26, 2021hile no one can blame the platforms for directlyadvocating violence, they enable those consideringviolence to connect with others also pondering darkpossibilities. An FBI informant acknowledged lastmonth that Facebook’s algorithms connected him with those chargedwith scheming to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.7 Theplatforms give those with evil intentions the ability to find the likeminded, the easily manipulated, the vulnerable, the frightened, and theweak and reach them with pinpoint precision.76Heilweil, R. (2021, March 26). If mark Zuckerberg won’t FIX Facebook’s algorithms problem, whowill? Retrieved April 15, 2021, from tionsThe Domestic Extremist Next DoorHow Digital Platforms Enable the War Against American Government
That said, it’s a mistake to simply dismiss people susceptible to messagesof hate or violence as being part of one political party or another (JeremyChristian was both a white supremacist and a Bernie Sanders supporter8).While militia members and conspiracy theorists might be inclined to votefor those candidates peddling similar theories and ideologies, believershave come to this movement from across the political spectrum. Perhapsthe most common thread binding QAnon, the Proud Boys, the BoogalooBois, the Three Percenters, and the Oath Keepers is their reliance onsocial media to spread their vision for America.Unfortunately, all the work that law enforcement did after Oklahoma Cityis now lost. Not only have militia groups re-emerged from the shadows,but they now have a pipeline from which to push propaganda and attractnew members. Conspiracy theorists provide the motives, militias offer amethod with which members can lash out against their enemies, and socialmedia platforms the megaphones that allow these domestic extremiststo share menacing, even threatening, messages of violence and hate.Images 2, 3, 4 and 5 below are posts on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram,and Twitter that CSW researchers found posted just after the deadlyJanuary 6th riots inside the U.S. Capitol. Some are labeled as “false” basedon fact checks. It’s hard to understand why these posts are even up at all.IMAGE 2Instagram post in support of QAnon from March 26, 20218Reinstein, J. (2017, May 27). Here’s what we know about the suspect in The PORTLAND train stabbing attack. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from n/portland-suspectThe Domestic Extremist Next DoorHow Digital Platforms Enable the War Against American Government7
IMAGE 3Instagram post in support of QAnon from March 26, 2021IMAGE 4Video in support of QAnon on Facebook from February 26, 20218The Domestic Extremist Next DoorHow Digital Platforms Enable the War Against American Government
IMAGE 5Video in support of QAnon on YouTube from March 1, 2021The Domestic Extremist Next DoorHow Digital Platforms Enable the War Against American Government9
How SympathizersWith the CapitolAttackers PeddlePropagandaMany of us have grown up thinking ofpatriots as people who look like this:Today, there’s a growing number of peoplewho think #patriots look like this:IMAGE 6IMAGE 7Post in support of QAnon on Facebook from March 1, 2021“#Patriots” is the new “#savethechildren” or “Allahu Akbar.”The Arabic term “Allahu Akbar” translates roughly into “God is great” inEnglish. For centuries, Allahu Akbar was a greeting for Muslims and nonMuslims.9 That changed with the rise of ISIS, which used Allahu Akbar asa rallying cry and thousands of videos showing ISIS soldiers using AllahuAkbar were posted on social media platforms. ISIS proved to be verysophisticated in choosing a term that could slip through the social mediaplatforms’ guardrails.910Nagourney, E. (2017, November 02). ‘Allahu akbar’: An EVERYDAY PHRASE, tarnished by attacks. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from allahu-akbar-terrorism.htmlThe Domestic Extremist Next DoorHow Digital Platforms Enable the War Against American Government
QAnon and some American militia groups have been following the ISISsocial media playbook.Save the Children is a well-known charity created in 191910 and has a4-star rating from Charity Navigator and an A- rating from Charity Watch.But when a hashtag is in front of “save the children,” it often takes ona whole new meaning - designed to target moms and interest themin QAnon.11 “#savethechildren” is a rallying cry for QAnon followerslooking to “fight back against celebrities and politicians participating inor operating a child sex trafficking ring.”12 Many people might feel uncomfortable equating “Save the Children”with “Allahu Akbar,” but each term has been equally effective for theextremists that have repurposed them. In a December 2020 NPR/Ipsospoll, 17% of Americans said they believe “a group of Satan-worshippingelites who run a child sex ring are trying to control our politics and media.”Another 37% said they didn’t know.13“#savethechildren” on social media platforms has worked as part of a sortof membership drive for QAnon, allowing the influencers to reach peoplethey may have never otherwise been able to target. It has been used toattract, recruit, and radicalize concerned citizens who enter these socialmedia conversations with pure intentions.14 The trafficking story has luredsuccessful, productive people down the QAnon rabbit hole.1510Why save the children? (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2021, from ve-the-children11North, A. (2020, September 18). How #SaveTheChildren is PULLING American Moms into QANON.Retrieved April 15, 2021, from htag-qanon-pizzagate12The problem became so bad that in August 2020, Save the Children had to make a public statement regarding the use of the hashtag with their name. Since the Vox story in footnote #7 waspublished, other groups and individuals - including many concerned about human rights issues inMyanmar - have started using #SaveTheChildren as well. Pro-QAnon posts are just a part of whatyou will find if you search #savethechildren on Facebook and Twitter.Save the children statement on use of its name in unaffiliated campaigns. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15,2021, from tement-on-use-of-its-name-in-unaffiliated-c13Rose, J. (2020, December 30). Even if it’s ‘bonkers,’ poll finds many believe qanon and otherconspiracy theories. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from -conspiracy-theories14Seitz, A. (2020, October 28). QAnon’s ‘save the Children’ morphs into popular slogan. RetrievedApril 15, 2021, from 89cd2cea151ca13421a015Dillon, N. (2020, November 13). Arizona woman who destroyed target mask display was in gripsof Qanon: ‘I went down a spiral that resulted in my very Public implosion’. Retrieved April 15, 2021,from The Domestic Extremist Next DoorHow Digital Platforms Enable the War Against American Government11
IMAGE 8Post in support of QAnon (includes repost of a “QDrop” - messagessupposedly posted by the mysterious insider deified by QAnonfollowers who goes by “Q”) on Twitter from March 1, 2021QAnon and ISIS have proven to be two of the most adept organizationsgiving new meaning to seemingly innocuous terms on social mediaplatforms.Besides “#savethechildren,” QAnon is utilizing multiple versions of“#patriots” (including “#patriotsincontrol) to help push propagandaacross the Internet. The conspiracy theorists find fertile ground withsome militia members and their larger organizations.Researchers from the Digital Citizens and CSW tracked several versionsof #patriots across multiple platforms. The researchers found it’s justone way the savviest social media propagandists are avoiding detectionby the platforms.12The Domestic Extremist Next DoorHow Digital Platforms Enable the War Against American Government
Researchers found followers using tactics that the platforms have beenunwilling or unable to stop. The sign below clearly supports the ThreePercenters militia and the organization’s philosophy about guns and itswillingness to do anything to protect their rights. It’s easy to understandwhat the post is about, but the message doesn’t include any mentionsof guns or violence. While The Three Percenters’ logo is on the person’st-shirt, the sign’s numerals are different from the logo itself. This couldbe another sign of sophistication amongst militia group members whounderstand how to keep their messages under the platforms’ radar.IMAGE 9Post in support of Three Percenters using #PatriotsUnitehashtag on Facebook from March 29, 2021People with posts like this one are paying attention to Facebook’svulnerabilities. Almost exactly three years ago, Facebook CEO MarkZuckerbe
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