FBI Encourages Americans to Snitch on 'Extremist' Friends and Family
Watch out for 'homegrown extremists'
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The FBI has encouraged American citizens to snitch on their own family members and friends to prevent "homegrown violent extremism."
The FBI said Sunday:
“Family members and peers are often best positioned to witness signs of mobilization to violence."
"Help prevent homegrown violent extremism. Visit https://go.usa.gov/x6mjf to learn how to spot suspicious behaviors and report them to the #FBI.”
In a 32-page bulletin, the FBI also listed many suspicious behaviors to watch out for.
Though the FBI focused on Islamic terrorism, they also described behaviors by other “homegrown extremists” to watch out for.
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The news comes amid Facebook's recent announcement warning that some users might have seen "extremist content."
Family members and peers are often best positioned to witness signs of mobilization to violence. Help prevent homegrown violent extremism. Visit https://t.co/bql36iSbig to learn how to spot suspicious behaviors and report them to the #FBI. #NatSec pic.twitter.com/ZwJp5h5bWD
— FBI (@FBI) July 11, 2021
Screenshots shared on Twitter showed a notice asking:
"Are you concerned that someone you know is becoming an extremist?"
Another alerted users:
"You may have been exposed to harmful extremist content recently."
Both included links to "get support."
Last month, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed this narrative further after she told reporters she would establish a committee to investigate the Jan 6 incursion.
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She added the two topics for the investigation would include the “root causes” that led people to storm the Capitol.
Pelosi claimed the root causes of the incursion were “white supremacy, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.”
In May, Democrat Joe Biden said he was considering hiring private firms to surveil “extremist chatter by Americans online” due to limitations the federal government has without a warrant, according to reports.
The federal government is banned from using false identities to access private messaging apps and groups.
“The plan being discussed inside DHS, according to multiple sources, would, in effect, allow the department to circumvent” laws that limit what the federal government can do in surveilling U.S. citizens without a warrant.
“A source familiar with the effort said it is not about decrypting data but rather using outside entities who can legally access these private groups to gather large amounts of information that could help DHS identify key narratives as they emerge."
