News and Media

For years, the influence of fake news and the manipulation of public and political perception has been a threat to political systems. During the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories have risen to new heights, as non-state actors—among them extremists and populists—have tried to take advantage of the situation. State actors have also engaged in the distribution of fake news concerning the virus, putting their own citizens at risk.

Recent demonstrations across the U.S. have been marred by at least 19 cases of individuals allegedly using vehicles as weapons to drive into crowds, according to witnesses and police. In at least eight of these cases, drivers face charges over what prosecutors have claimed to be deliberate acts. In a Virginia court filing, the Commonwealth alleges a driver who hit a demonstrator’s bicycle and threatened the protesting crowd nearby with his truck told police he was a high-ranking official of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).

Three years ago, Darren Osbourne drove a van into a crowd of worshippers outside The Finsbury Park Mosque, killing one and wounding ten people. Osbourne was not a devout ideologue. He had become radicalized in less than a month through the rapid consumption of far-right online material. He devoured social media posts from former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson, members of Britain First, and other right-wing extremists.

(New York, N.Y.) – Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Executive Director David Ibsen and CEP Senior Advisor Dr. Hany Farid released the following statement today in response to proposed changes announced by the U.S. Department of Justice to roll back tech companies’ broad legal protections...

The European Union’s (EU) proposed Terrorist Content Regulation continues to face opposition from major tech companies including Google/YouTube and Microsoft. The new regulation would allow EU member states to impose fines on tech firms of up to four percent of their revenue for failure to consistently remove extremist content from their platforms. It would also require a takedown of said extremist content within one hour of receiving notice from public authorities. Given tech companies’ consistent inability to enforce their own terms of service, the EU’s proposal is part of a growing trend by legislative bodies to prescribe content moderation policies in an effort to stymie the spread of extremist and terrorist material online. The Terrorist Content Regulation builds upon Germany’s pioneering 2018 Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG).

The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by extremists to exploit the Internet and social media platforms to recruit followers and incite violence. Last week, ISIS supporters circumvented efforts by Telegram to disrupt and slow the spread of ISIS content on its platform and continued to disperse ISIS propaganda using the messaging app’s Telegra.ph feature. Also, a pro-ISIS cyber security group, Electronic Horizons Foundation, released a guide for using the Hoop Messenger platform. Meanwhile, neo-Nazis uploaded a video to Telegram and YouTube of various individuals harassing and threatening Black Lives Matter protesters in Knoxville, Tennessee. Finally, CEP researchers located two videos from the white supremacist group Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) on YouTube as well as a video message from the cofounder of the white supremacist movement, Rise Above Movement (RAM), advocating for white vigilantism.

German neo-Nazis are training with the far-right Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) to gain proficiency in more advanced military-style tactics, according to a report by German news magazine Focus . The RIM, which was recently designated by the United States as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, is said to have hosted extremists who belonged to the youth wings of two German political parties considered to be neo-Nazi movements, the National Democratic Party and The Third Path. The training reportedly took place at a camp known as Partizan near Saint Petersburg, where former Russian military members conduct trainings on bombmaking, marksmanship, combat medicine, and small-group tactics such as assaulting and clearing buildings.

Last week, the Washington Post highlighted a growing number of white supremacist and neo-Nazi extremists using online platforms to capitalize on the ongoing U.S. protests by exacerbating tensions, spreading misinformation, and stoking violence. The trend represents yet another example of how extremists’ online activities can translate into real-life violence.

The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by extremists to exploit the Internet and social media platforms to recruit followers and incite violence. Last week, white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups leveraged their Telegram channels to capitalize on the ongoing U.S. protests and civil disorder, encouraging users to incite violence against protesters and advocating for attacks on infrastructure including power grids. In addition, CEP researchers discovered a Telegram channel allegedly created by a Russian affiliate of the neo-Nazi Attomwaffen Division (AWD) and also located a Dhivehi Maldivian pro-ISIS propaganda group on Facebook. Finally, pro-ISIS Telegram channels began urging followers to switch to the Hoop Messenger application.

A new report released by the United Nations (U.N.) last week revealed that the Taliban maintained routine consultations with al-Qaeda , despite the Taliban’s peace deal with the United States. According to the report, about 400 to 600 armed al-Qaeda operatives are stationed in Afghanistan. The February 29 peace agreement saw the Taliban agree to prevent al-Qaeda from operating in Afghanistan in order for U.S. troops to gradually withdraw from Afghanistan. Despite the conditions of the negotiations, the two extremist groups reportedly exchanged guarantees to honor their historic ties. Such an agreement would run counter to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1988 , which demands the Taliban break ties with al-Qaeda, accept the Afghan constitution and renounce violence. The U.N. report also states that the Taliban and al-Qaeda held meetings throughout 2019 and early 2020 to discuss training and operational planning.