While cities and countries around the world take strong actions to deal with the coronavirus, some extremist groups are trying to take advantage of the situation to recruit people online.
A report from the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness says that “Supporters of extremist groups have encouraged their followers to carry out attacks during the COVID-19 pandemic to create fear, target minorities and immigrants, and celebrate the deaths of their enemies.”
Oren Segal, who is the vice president of the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, explains that they have been watching how these groups are using the pandemic for several months. He said, “Extremists will always find a way to use a crisis to promote their ideas. They often blame certain groups, like Asians or Jews, for the world’s problems.”
The New Jersey report points out a familiar pattern: “To stay relevant, extremists often manipulate crises to support their beliefs and encourage potential attackers.”
Many Chinese-Americans and other people of Asian descent have reported an increase in hate crimes and negative comments connected to the virus.
Segal mentioned, “When people refer to this as the Wuhan flu, Chinese virus, or ‘Kung-Flu,’ it is harmful. It casts doubt on an entire community of Chinese and Asian Americans.”
He said that extremist groups aim to take advantage of the fear and uncertainty that people feel during tough times.
“In desperate situations, people might turn to ideas they normally wouldn’t consider to feel better,” he added. “And that’s what extremists offer: someone to blame.”
Kieren Aris, who tracks how extremist groups are using COVID-19 for Moonshot CVE, a group in London that works to stop violent extremism, said, “These groups are talking about how they can use this crisis to recruit new members.”
Groups like white supremacists believe that chaos can lead to a breakdown of society, allowing them to create a racially pure nation.
“They use this to argue that the current democratic system is failing,” Aris explained. “They see this crisis as a chance to create social chaos. This confusion is a perfect opportunity for them to take advantage of people, promoting ideas that call for action or spreading the virus.”
On online platforms known for white supremacy, discussions about the coronavirus include plans to target non-white communities. Hashtags like #sneezethenshake and #spreadcorona have appeared, along with memes encouraging infected individuals to visit mosques and temples.
Surprisingly, they seem to be promoting actively spreading the virus, according to Aris. He added that “99.9 percent of those people are just joking around and taking advantage of the situation, but there are people who are struggling with loneliness, frustration, and mental health issues. They may be looking for a sense of purpose right now.”
These online platforms have also become filled with conspiracy theories about the virus. Aris, who monitors sites like 4chan, 8kun, and Telegram, noted that many of these theories are anti-Semitic.
Segal expressed concern that this online talk could lead to real harm in the real world.
“Conspiracy theories are the lifeblood of anti-Semitism,” he told CBS News. “For many years, one of the main ideas behind anti-Semitism has been that Jews control and manipulate world events. This can happen during wars, financial crises, or even global pandemics.”
With many businesses and schools closed, Segal worries that more people spending time online could be exposed to propaganda from extremist groups.
“It’s on gaming platforms like Steam and Discord. It’s even on TikTok. It’s everywhere,” he said. “As our kids spend more time online because they aren’t in school, we must remember that these are the same spaces where extremists operate.”
