Online Mobilization and Violence in the United States

·  Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) communities glorify violence across ideological lines for shock value and digital notoriety, making their threats harder to predict based on political triggers.

This report aims to bring clarity to a conversation clouded by vagueness and partisanship. It first maps the domestic threat landscape, offering timely examples of online violent discourse from across the ideological spectrum targeting US individuals or institutions, and sets out a clear definitional framework for types of speech that carry legal significance under US constitutional doctrine. It closes with practical recommendations for online service providers and policymakers.

Recommendations In Brief
For Online Platforms

1.Adopt precise policies on threats and incitement and demonstrate willingness and capacity to enforce those policies. Clearly define prohibited conduct involving threats of violence and incitement, and report publicly on their enforcement actions and outcomes.

2.Implement user-friendly reporting tools compatible with encryption. Any platform enabling user communication should allow users to flag illegal conduct and content they believe violates platform policies. Those reports should be examined swiftly and escalated as appropriate.

3.Use metadata responsibly to disrupt networks. When collecting metadata to detect abusive behavior, limit collection to what is necessary for specific safety purposes, be transparent about its use, and delete it after a set period.

4.Cooperate with other services to monitor and combat dangerous cross-platform activity. Participate actively in cross-industry initiatives to identify migration patterns and disrupt attempts by dangerous actors to exploit harder-to-monitor encrypted environments.

For US Legislators and Policymakers

5. Recognize the limits of legal remedies. Distinguish between harmful speech that is lawful and speech that is illegal under the First Amendment when setting out platform obligations.

6. Clarify protocols for platform-law enforcement cooperation. Establish clear standards for when and how platforms should share information related to threats or incitement with law enforcement.

7. Revisit extremist and terrorist designation frameworks. Re-examine the criteria used to designate terrorist organizations and apply them consistently across ideologies.

8. Mandate transparency, design, and procedural standards without undermining encryption. Require platforms to publish transparency reports that explain their abuse-detection and reporting goals, processes, and outcomes.

9. Support research on effective counter-speech initiatives. Explore partnerships with civil society to counteract violent narratives through counter-speech campaigns. Recommendations In Brief 1

Notes
1. Government Accountability Office, Domestic Terrorism: Additional Actions Needed to Implement an Effective National Strategy, April 2025.

2. Zoe Sottile, Tyler Robinson – suspect in Charlie Kirk shooting, CNN, September 29, 2025. Jamie Stengle, A Mexican man is the second victim to die after shooting at Dallas ICE facility, Associated Press, September 30, 2025; Rachel Estabrook, Second Evergreen school shooting victim is 14-year-old boy, family says in first public statement, Colorado Public Radio, September 26, 2025. Ashley Grams, Annunciation community marks 1 month since mass shooting, CBS, 2025.