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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – The FBI is warning police departments throughout the nation of violence within the coming days forward of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Agents have picked up on-line conversations about plans for a number of armed protests in Washington, DC and state capitols in each state.
“From the moon landing to 9/11 to the election, there’s always groups out there that are going to spread conspiracy theories,” mentioned Idean Salehyan, a political science professor on the University of North Texas.
Extremist teams aren’t new in America, however now, with social media, they’ll attain extra individuals than ever earlier than – and even manage.
“We knew on the internet, prior to the attack on the Capitol, that people were calling for violent action on that day,” Salehyan mentioned.
US Attorneys In Texas Warn Of ‘Vigorous Prosecution’ For Any Violence At State Capitol
After the indignant mob descended on the Capitol, tech firms took unprecedented steps to crack down on baseless claims of election fraud.
Facebook banned content material selling the phrase “Stop the Steal” and blocked President Trump’s account. Twitter kicked him off their web site, too.
Parler, an unmoderated social community platform that turned a haven for far-right teams, has been minimize off from Amazon internet companies and cellular app shops.
“The removal of them from these more traditional, exposed spaces will actually make them go into darker places, where it’s harder for us to keep an eye on what’s happening,” mentioned Jared Schroeder, as affiliate professor of journalism at Southern Methodist University.
FBI Warns Of Potentially Violent Nationwide Protests Ahead Of Biden Inauguration
Furthermore, it received’t cease threats of extra extremist violence from persevering with to flow into on-line on different websites, with feedback like “Round 2 on January 20th. This time no mercy.”
“I think there are some positive signs, especially after the Capitol attack, that the FBI and other law enforcement agencies are going to begin to monitor these groups and their activities much more closely,” mentioned Salehyan.
Preventing the unfold of misinformation within the first place is vital, too.
“This stuff is here to stay, so getting better at spotting it is our best weapon,” Schroeder mentioned.
One thought to assist fight extremism on-line is to make media literacy part of the curriculum in colleges, instructing college students the right way to inform the distinction between dependable and unreliable data on the web.
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