Moonshot has launched a new monthly insights product, the Moonshot Threat Bulletin.
In this new blog series, we provide a monthly glimpse into the Threat Bulletin’s national trends analysis of online DVE spaces across the U.S. Our aim is to give a taste of the critical insights and coverage that Threat Bulletin provides.
This blog contains a short excerpt from September’s Moonshot Threat Bulletin. If you would like to access a one month free-trial to the full Threat Bulletin and discuss buying a subscription for your organization, please get in touch: threatbulletin@moonshotteam.com.
September 2022 National Trends
Developing narratives and online searches
President Biden’s Philadelphia address on September 1 framed as a declaration of civil war. The address prompted a 240% increase in references to a “civil war”, compared to a previous 14-day average. Readiness for violence and unrest was expressed across DVE spaces, with users claiming that the Biden Administration is “outgunned and outnumbered”. The address also prompted reactions in Anarchist spaces, including conversations about armed conflict between the “left and right” and accelerationist hopes for civil war and societal collapse.
QAnon community reinvigorated by perceived endorsements from former President Trump. Searches for QAnon-related content on Google increased by 97% in September, with the former President’s recent engagement with QAnon being interpreted as a sign that “THE STORM IS COMING!”. In QAnon speak, “the storm” refers to the alleged moment when a network of deep state, child sex traffickers will be exposed, arrested and executed.
Across DVE spaces, users called to infiltrate election polls to thwart perceived fraud. Encouragements to sign up as poll workers nationally shared across DVE spaces, including calls to take action against “C**T DEMONAZI’S”, and to “register as a Democrat” and “infiltrate”.
Violent language and threats
Violent crimes in Memphis prompt widespread calls for violence and a “race war”, following two crimes perpetrated by African American suspects. These incidents are being framed as evidence of systematic hatred towards white people, with claims that the “white race” is facing a “slow motion racial genocide”. Within these discussions, calls for extralegal action and violence are widespread, and DVE audiences are calling on others to carry weapons every day.
Across monitored online DVE spaces, threats against the transgender community are at their highest level in five months. Threats against this community increased by 23% in September alone. These threats peaked on September 5, following transgender activist Clara “Keffals” Sorrenti’s campaign to block Kiwifarms, a message board popular with DVE audiences.
Threats against immigrants also significantly increased during September . Threats peaked on September 15 following Florida governor Ron DeSantis authorization of the transportation of asylum seekers from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. DVE users criticized the relocation as “ineffective” at controlling
The Moonshot Threat Bulletin provides an overview of the key events, themes and narratives discussed by audiences within online U.S.-based Domestic Violent Extremist (DVE) spaces, including:
- Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism (REMVE)
- Anti-Government and Anti-Authority Violent Extremism (AGAAVE) (including Militia Violent Extremism, Sovereign Citizen Violent Extremism, and Anarchist Violent Extremism)
- Harmful Conspiracy Theories online.
It also provides an assessment of violent hate, threats, and harassment trends online.
The Threat Bulletin includes comprehensive coverage of both mainstream and niche platforms, including Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, Gab, Telegram, 4chan, Stormfront, Gettr, 8kun, TruthSocial, among others.
The Threat Bulletin also monitors and forecasts future trends and events to watch across online DVE spaces. For more detailed insights and analysis, including geo-spatial assessments of DVE threats across the U.S., please get in touch: threatbulletin@moonshotteam.com.