USA: More than 200 paramilitary groups are organized via Facebook

Meta may claim that its platforms are safe from extremists, but a new survey by the Tech Transparency Project published in… WiredIt identified more than 200 armed paramilitary groups that organize themselves online through Facebook. Some of these groups are even included.”Dangerous individuals and organizations“By Meta.

The head of the Tech Transparency Project, Katie Paul, has been monitoring hundreds of these groups since 2021.

Many of these groups are no longer fragmented pieces of local paramilitary groups, but rather alliances of multiple paramilitary groups, with the Three Percenters dominant. Facebook remains the largest meeting point for extremists and paramilitary groups to cast their nets and draw users into more private conversations, even on the platform itself, where they can plan and coordinate with impunity.

Users search for “Active patriots“To discuss anti-government ideology, hold meetings and fight training.

It’s worth noting that on August 14, Meta will retire the CrowdTangle tool, which was created in 2016 and allowed journalists and academics to track how conspiracy theories and fake news spread on Facebook and Instagram.