Countering Violent Extremism: FBI and DHS Need Strategies and Goals for Sharing Threat Information with Social Media and Gaming Companies
Fast Facts
Domestic terrorists pose a significant threat to the U.S., according to the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. Domestic terrorists often use online platforms—such as social media and gaming—to communicate radical ideas to a wide audience and mobilize likeminded people.
The FBI and DHS have some tools for sharing information with and receiving information from social media and gaming companies on threats related to domestic terrorism. But neither agency has developed strategies and goals related to such information-sharing efforts.
We recommended that the FBI and DHS develop these strategies and goals.
Highlights
What GAO Found
Domestic violent extremists use social media and gaming platforms for several purposes, including to reach wide audiences; to insert their extremist ideas into the mainstream; and to radicalize, recruit, and mobilize others, according to government reports and experts GAO spoke with (see figure). Experts noted that violent extremists generally use a variety of platforms for different purposes, depending on available features, audiences, and content moderation practices.
Example of the Viral Nature of Domestic Violent Extremists' Use of Online Platforms
According to social media and gaming companies GAO met with, they use various content moderation tools to identify and remove content they determine violates their platforms' policies related to domestic violent extremism on their platforms. For example, they report using machine learning tools to scan for content that violates their policies, as well as reviews by employees. However, companies and experts reported that several factors affect these moderation efforts, such as company financial considerations and diversity in standards of acceptable content. For example, content banned on one platform could be allowed on another.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have mechanisms to share and receive domestic violent extremism threat-related information with social media and gaming companies. However, neither agency has developed a strategy that articulates how it identifies and selects companies to engage with or the goals and desired outcomes of those engagements. Without a strategy or goals, the agencies may not be fully aware of how effective their communications are with companies, or how effectively their information-sharing mechanisms serve the agencies' overall missions.
Why GAO Did This Study
In recent years, content on social media and gaming platforms that promotes domestic violent extremism has influenced several high-profile attacks, according to experts and agency officials. As a result, some social media and gaming companies, as well as federal agencies, are making an effort to understand and address online content that promotes domestic violent extremism.
GAO was asked to review domestic violent extremists' use of social media and gaming platforms. This report (1) describes the purposes for which domestic violent extremists use these platforms; (2) describes how selected companies report mitigating content promoting domestic violent extremism; and (3) assesses the extent to which the FBI and DHS have developed goals and strategies for sharing threat-related information with companies.
GAO reviewed FBI and DHS documentation and interviewed officials. GAO obtained views from 16 subject matter experts identified by the National Academies of Sciences and prior work. GAO also interviewed representatives from a non-generalizable sample of five social media and gaming companies.
Recommendations
GAO recommends that the FBI and DHS each develop strategies and goals for sharing information related to domestic violent extremism with social media and gaming companies. The agencies concurred with the recommendations.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Bureau of Investigation | The Director of the FBI should develop a strategy and goals for sharing information related to domestic violent extremism with social media and gaming companies. (Recommendation 1) |
We reviewed domestic violent extremists' use of social media and gaming platforms as a tool to radicalize, recruit, and mobilize others and how federal agencies share and receive information with social media and gaming companies. We found that the FBI had mechanisms to share and receive domestic violent extremism threat-related information with social media and gaming companies, but did not have a strategy that articulates how it identifies and selects companies to engage with or the goals and desired outcomes of those engagements. We recommended that FBI develop such strategies and goals. In September 2024, FBI outlined its strategy of goals and objectives including how it intends to measure its actions in achieving them.
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| Office of Intelligence and Analysis | The Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis should develop a strategy and goals for sharing information related to domestic violent extremism with social media and gaming companies. (Recommendation 2) |
We reviewed domestic violent extremists' use of social media and gaming platforms as a tool to radicalize, recruit, and mobilize others and how federal agencies share and receive information with social media and gaming companies. We found that the Department of Homeland Security had mechanisms to share and receive domestic violent extremism threat-related information with social media and gaming companies, but did not have a strategy that articulates how it identifies and selects companies to engage with or the goals and desired outcomes of those engagements. We recommended that DHS develop such strategies and goals. DHS agreed with the recommendation and finalized its strategy in February 2025. The strategy outlines the goals and actionable steps for improving the way DHS shares information with social media, gaming, and other relevant categories of technology companies that domestic violent extremists use to radicalize and recruit others to violence.
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