PERSPECTIVE: QAnon, the Spread of Disinformation, and Conspiracy-Based Radicalization
QAnon has not shown any concrete signs of slowing down and continues to engage with new lines of conspiracy thinking to attract followers. Keep Reading
Coronavirus
Pandemic Fallout: Intelligence Community Finds Range of Security Threats Caused by COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the considerable fallout that a public health emergency can have on wide-ranging areas from nation-state conflict to migration to conspiracy theories that can potentially escalate to extremist violence, intelligence agencies said. Keep Reading
IC Finds ‘Greater Immediate Domestic Threat’ from Wide Range of Lone Actors Than ISIS
"A lot of these violent extremism threats don't fit into nice, neat ideological buckets," FBI director warns. Keep Reading
PERSPECTIVE: Which Lessons Learned from the War on Terror Can Help Us Confront Domestic Terrorism?
In light of the recent Capitol Hill riots, there has been a growing realization that domestic terrorism is now a greater threat to the homeland than internationally linked militant jihadist threats from groups like ISIS, al Qaeda, al Shabaab, etc. Keep Reading
Fighting Domestic Extremism: Lessons From Germany
The success of German democracy today indicates Germany’s ability to overcome its previous failure and offers lessons for the United States as well as other countries seeking to counter extreme ideologies. Keep Reading
Bulletin Warns of Extremist Threat to Capital Region with ‘Unpredictable Target Selection’
"Some DVEs motivated by the QAnon conspiracy theory believe that the previous president will be inaugurated on 4 March or will return to power on 20 May with the help of the U.S. military," say FBI and DHS. Keep Reading
Macron Orders Inquiry on Conspiracist Groups as QAnon Emerges in France
After rising to the fore in the U.S. during the most fraught presidential campaign the country has seen for decades, the QAnon phenomenon has emerged in France – prompting President Emmanuel Macron’s government to order a multiagency inquiry on conspiracist movements. Keep Reading
The QAnon Timeline: Four Years, 5,000 Drops and Countless Failed Prophecies
QAnon is not a static conspiracy theory. Since it first emerged in 2017, it has continuously evolved, focusing on different key topics and adopting elements of other conspiracy theories. Keep Reading
How the Heightened Domestic Extremist Threat Could Materialize in Attacks
The mishmash of extremists at the Capitol and chatter give indications about threat patterns in the year ahead. Keep Reading
5 Terrorism Trends to Watch in 2021
2020 emphasized the importance of staying nimble as multiple threats simultaneously unfold. Keep Reading
Coronavirus
‘Crisis and a Loss of Control’: Digital Extremism in German-Speaking Countries During the COVID-19 Crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to drastic changes to our lives and great uncertainty with regard to healthcare, social cohesion and the economy. In parallel, major protests against the policies implemented by governments to prevent the spread of the virus have erupted. Keep Reading
Female Extremists in QAnon and ISIS Are on the Rise: We Need a New Strategy to Combat Them
Downplaying the phenomenon or misrepresenting what drives it, as so many previous administrations have done, will only make it worse. Keep Reading
Wray Explains Antifa, QAnon, Boogaloo, and Racially Motivated Violence at Threats Hearing
The Bureau usually has about 1,000 domestic terrorism investigations open each year, but "it's higher than that this year." Keep Reading
QAnon Website Shuts Down After N.J. Man Identified as Operator
A popular website for posts about the conspiracy group QAnon abruptly shut down after a fact-checking group identified the developer as a New Jersey man. Keep Reading
The Evolution of Terror: 6 Critical Threats 19 Years After 9/11
There are some familiar faces as well as new threats keeping counter-extremism on its toes. Keep Reading
Facebook on Removing Content of Movements and Organizations Tied to Violence
"We have seen growing movements that, while not directly organizing violence, have celebrated violent acts, shown that they have weapons and suggest they will use them, or have individual followers with patterns of violent behavior." Keep Reading
QAnon Conspiracies on Facebook Could Prompt Real-World Violence
As Facebook continues to grapple with hate speech and violent extremism across the platform, QAnon conspiracy theorists are using public and private Facebook pages and groups to spread disinformation, racism, and thinly veiled incitement to violence. Keep Reading
Facebook Removes QAnon Conspiracy Group with 200,000 Members
QAnon is a wide-ranging, unfounded conspiracy theory that a "deep state" network of powerful government, business and media figures are waging a secret war against Donald Trump. Keep Reading
TikTok Starts Blocking Searches for QAnon Conspiracy Theory Videos
On TikTok, the main #QAnon video channel has attracted over 80 million views, but on Friday, the channel produced no results. Keep Reading
Wayfair Conspiracy Theorists Are Overwhelming the National Human Trafficking Hotline
A national organization fighting to end human trafficking says the believers in the unfounded Wayfair human trafficking conspiracy theory are overwhelming the organization with reports and making it harder to do its work. Keep Reading