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Hate Groups Turn To Social Networks To Ramp Up Recruitment

Posted on: Wednesday, 13 May 2009, 15:27 CDT

A new report released Wednesday finds that some militants and hate groups are increasingly turning to social networking Web sites such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube to recruit new members.

The report, entitled: “Facebook, YouTube: How Social Media Outlets Impact Digital Terrorism and Hate”, was released Wednesday by the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC).  It was based on "over 10,000 problematic Web sites, social networking groups, portals, blogs, chat rooms, videos and hate games on the Internet which promote racial violence, anti-semitism, homophobia, hate music and terrorism.” 

The report found a 25 percent increase during the past year in the number of problematic groups using such social networking sites.

"Every aspect of the Internet is being used by extremists of every ilk to repackage old hatred, demean the 'Enemy,' to raise funds and since 9/11, recruit and train Jihadist terrorists," said the Center in a statement.

The greatest increase of digital hate has emerged from Facebook and YouTube, which have seen a proliferation of extremist use, with 30% of new postings on Facebook alone, the Center said. The greatest increase came from overseas, particularly the Middle East and Europe.

Examples of what the SWC calls "digital terrorism and hate" include a Facebook group known as "Death to gays" in Croatia, a YouTube video of a Koran being burned and a variety of Web sites promoting militant groups such as al Qaeda, Hezbollah, the Taliban and Colombia's FARC.

“Facebook officials have met with the SWC and pledged to remove sites that violate their terms of usage. But with over 200 million users, online bigots have to date outpaced efforts to remove them,” said the SWC, a Jewish human rights group named after the renowned Nazi hunter.

The Center has been tracking extremist Internet use for over a decade, and said the emergence of social networking sites has fueled the proliferation of bigoted views.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the SWC’s associate dean, said Facebook recently removed several Holocaust denial sites, including one that featured a cartoon of Adolf Hitler in bed with Anne Frank.

"The main social networkers understand they have a problem," Cooper said during an interview with Reuters.

"The company that's tried to do its best so far has been Facebook, yet we've seen that sometimes your best isn't enough to eliminate a problem."

He noted one YouTube user whose racist content has caused his postings to be taken down multiple times, but who simply creates a new channel in which to post the offensive content again.   The user has even bragged that he is now on his 64th channel.

Extremist groups are also creating their own social networking Web sites.  The report cited one such site, called “New Saxon”, described as "a Social Networking site for people of European descent.”   The site was created by an American Neo-Nazi group known as the National Socialist Movement.

Other groups have created online games such as "Special Operation 85 - Hostage Rescue”, made by an Iranian organization, and another game called "Border Patrol" in which players shoot Mexicans trying to pass over the U.S. border.

In a May 12 statement, Facebook said it intends to continue working with the SWC on the issue.

"Many of the groups or pages that were shown to us by the Simon Wiesenthal Center earlier this year as part of their study had already been removed under Facebook’s rules. We are committed to continuing this practice, and to working with those who fight hate like the Simon Wiesenthal Center,” the statement read.

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On the Net:

• Facebook, YouTube: How Social Media Outlets Impact Digital Terrorism and Hate

Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

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