Wiesenthal Center Digital Terrorism and Hate Report 2016

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), pictured with Rabbi Cooper and the report card.

Twitter makes strides against ISIS’ use of social media giant; Does little to curb online bigotry

The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) released its 2016 Digital Terrorism and Hate Report at a press conference at the Museum of Tolerance New York. The report presented hundreds of examples of how terrorists and their enablers, racists at home and abroad, anti-Semites and other bigots leverage internet technologies to mass market their dangerous agendas.

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), said that the report should serve as a wake-up call. “I am planning to sponsor a briefing by Simon Wiesenthal Center officials on Capitol Hill, so that members of Congress, and their staff, can be fully informed directly by the Center…. Since New York City is the number one target by terrorists in the United States I want to ensure that the FBI and NYPD receive copies of the report," Congresswoman Maloney added. 

“We are deeply appreciative that Congresswoman Maloney is sharing this report with leaders here in New York and on Capitol Hill,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the SWC who also heads up the Digital Terrorism and Hate Project for the leading Jewish Human Rights NGO. “What this report shows is that all Americans, whatever their political orientation, should be deeply concerned by the speed and sophistication with which the Jihadis and domestic extremists deploy the latest social media technologies, especially encryption,” he added. 

Rabbi Cooper, who regularly meets with Twitter, Google, YouTube and Facebook also released the Center’s annual Report Card, which grades internet companies on how they deal with online hate and terrorism.

The Wiesenthal Center’s worldwide Digital Terrorism and Hate research team is headed by the Rick Eaton, a Center Senior Researcher. He joined Rabbi Cooper, Mark Weitzman, the Center’s Director of Government Affairs and Director of the Center’s Task Force against Hate and Terrorism, and Michael Cohen, the Regional Director, at the briefing. The conference focused on:

The sophisticated use of social networking platforms, led by Twitter, terrorists and racists. Homeland Security reported that ISIS alone was deploying 200,000 tweets a day.
 

The burgeoning threat from encryption of terrorists’ communications will be detailed.

The Center, which regularly meets with internet giants and law enforcement and intelligence officials at home and abroad, detailed how leading companies’ commitment to remove posts by terrorists and bigots.

Access the 2016 Digital Terrorism and Hate Report here 

Source: The Simon Wiesenthal Center