Friend,

Earlier today, SPLC Chief of Staff Lecia Brooks testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy about how far-right extremists are exploiting internet technology to create a broader, more decentralized and more dangerous movement; how the movement finances itself; and what steps we must take to confront the threat.

Read the SPLC’s full written testimony here to learn more about the state of domestic extremism and our recommendations to Congress.

In her testimony, Brooks described how the proliferation of numerous internet platforms has allowed individuals to engage with potentially violent movements – like QAnon and Boogaloo – without being card-carrying members of a particular group.

The funding and financing of hate groups in this decentralized landscape is also changing in important ways. In the past, hate groups raised money by charging dues, selling products or requiring the purchase of uniforms. Today, some white nationalist groups and personalities are raising funds through the distribution of propaganda itself.  

In November, SPLC researchers reported that dozens of extremist groups were earning thousands of dollars per month on a popular livestreaming platform called DLive. Some DLive streamers were featured by House impeachment managers as key perpetrators of the violence on Jan. 6 because they used DLive to livestream the events inside the Capitol and on the grounds.

Crowdfunding is also being exploited by hate groups to earn money in this new decentralized landscape. Crowdfunding sites played a critical role in the Capitol insurrection – providing monetary support that allowed people to travel to Washington, D.C. They’ve also played a crucial role in raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees for extremists. 

The violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 should serve as a wake-up call for Congress, the Biden administration, internet companies, law enforcement and public officials at every level. Here are the five key policy recommendations to prevent extremist activity that Brooks suggested during her testimony.

• Tech companies must create and enforce terms of service to ensure that they do not become platforms for hate. They should prevent their sites from being used by extremist organizations to raise money for their illegal actions.
   
• These companies should commit to much more transparency and regular outside audits to measure the financial harms caused by their platforms.
   
• Congress should prioritize funding programs for research into technologies that can be used to detect and prevent online financial harms while preserving human rights.
   
• Congress should reject legislation to create a new federal criminal domestic terrorism statute. If the past is prologue, such a statute could be used to expand racial profiling or even be wielded to surveil and investigate communities of color and political opponents in the name of national security.
   
• Finally, we should make concerted efforts – across government – to improve federal hate crime data collection, training and prevention. Data drives policy. We cannot address hate violence unless we measure it properly. 

Read the SPLC’s full written testimony here to learn more about the state of domestic extremism and our recommendations to Congress. 

You can further support our work fighting hate and extremism by sharing Brooks’ testimony on Facebook and Twitter. 

Sincerely,

The Southern Poverty Law Center

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