Hate groups are moving to encrypted online platforms, making them harder to track

Some hate groups might have been deplatformed from social media, but that doesn't mean that their bigotry has disappeared.

A new report from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) warns that it’s going to be more difficult for researchers to keep tabs on extremism as white supremacists and other hate groups move to encrypted online communications channels.

In the report released on Monday, the SPLC found that the number of hate groups in the U.S. fell 11 percent between 2019 and 2020 — to 838 active organizations. However, as the report points out, this doesn’t mean “a reduction in bigoted beliefs and actions motivated by hate.” Read more...

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