White supremacists are riling up thousands on social media

White supremacists are riling up thousands on social media

The social media posts are of a distinct type. They hint darkly that the CIA or the FBI are behind mass shootings*. They traffic in racist, sexist and homophobic tropes. They revel in the prospect of a “white boy summer.”

These type of threats and racist ideology have become so commonplace on social media that it’s nearly impossible for law enforcement to separate internet ramblings from dangerous, potentially violent people, Michael German**, who infiltrated white supremacy groups as an FBI agent, told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

Facebook and Instagram owner Meta banned praise and support for white nationalist and separatists movements in 2019*** on company platforms, but the social media shift to subtlety makes it difficult to moderate the posts.

Related:

*FBI Infiltration of Right-Wing Groups (PATCON, ETC)

**Mike German – Brennan Center For Justice

**FBI Agent Mike German Discusses Years Undercover Investigating Skinheads, Aryans and More

***FACEBOOK ALLOWS PRAISE OF NEO-NAZI UKRAINIAN BATTALION IF IT FIGHTS RUSSIAN INVASION

Just tell them that you’re fighting, against the Russians, if they try to censor you?! 🤷🏼‍♀️

The Contagion Effect: From Buffalo to Uvalde, 16 Mass Shootings in Just 10 Days

The latest mass shootings in Texas and New York highlight the frequency of such attacks — and how they can spread like a disease

The Contagion Effect: From Buffalo to Uvalde, 16 Mass Shootings in Just 10 Days

Related:

Our Narrative of Mass Shootings Is Killing Us

Mass Shootings Are Contagious:

The idea that violence might be contagious is not new. Suicides often cluster, in a phenomenon known as suicide contagion, in which vulnerable people are inspired to take their own lives after reading about the details of previous suicides. In an attempt to stop the contagion, many media outlets abide by voluntary reporting standards to not sensationalize suicides.

“The contagion that appears to be apparent in the mass killings and school shootings may have something to do with the media coverage,” Towers said.

This doesn’t mean the media shouldn’t report on mass shootings, Towers said. But voluntary efforts to de-emphasize the killer’s name and portrait might help stave off additional shootings.

Myanmar Violence: a Slow Burn US Proxy War

The ongoing violence in Myanmar may have faded into the background of global media coverage as much more intense conflict shapes up within and along Ukraine’s borders in Eastern Europe and as Washington raises the prospect of direct conflict with China in Asia. However, Myanmar’s conflict serves as a point of destabilization which may impact the wider stability of Southeast Asia and thus undermine China in a more indirect but still significant manner.

Myanmar Violence: a Slow Burn US Proxy War