The Biden administration on Thursday launched a new task force aimed at addressing and preventing online harassment and abuse, which disproportionately impact women, young girls, and members of the LGBTQ community.
One of the task force’s chief responsibilities will be to study the link between online harassment, mass shootings and violence against women and other groups.
“We continue to see how some acts of mass violence, the most recent included, have followed expressions of online hate and abuse,” Vice President Kamala Harris said at a White House event kicking off the task force.
Recently accused lone-wolf mass shooters in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas were linked to disturbing internet activity ahead of their massacres.
Payton Gendron, who is accused of killing 10 people in a racist attack at a Buffalo supermarket, posted a lengthy manifesto, explaining his beliefs and describing his descent into the world of online extremism.
Salvador Ramos, who killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, sent cryptic, angry, and scary messages online to women, including to some he didn’t know. When they didn’t respond, he threatened to rape or kidnap them, later acting as if it were a joke.
“Hate has become so common on the Internet, that as a society, it’s becoming normalized and, for some users, unavoidable,” Ms. Harris said at the event, which was attended by advocates and survivors.
The task force, which fulfills a campaign pledge by President Biden, will also convene to study online sexual harassment, stalking, and revenge porn. It will be co-chaired by the White House’s Gender Policy Council and National Security Council.
Task force members include Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.
Speaking at the task force’s first meeting Thursday, Mr. Garland said the Justice Department will expand its efforts to prevent and prosecute cyber harassment, online stalking, and the sharing of nonconsensual pornography. The department’s Office on Violence Against Women will dole out $10 million in grants for states to crack down on online bullying.
Mr. Garland said online harassment can be life-shattering and the trauma “endures long after the crime has occurred.”
Ultimately, the panel will issue recommendations to federal agencies, state governments, social media companies, schools, and other private organizations to address online harassment.
The task force will issue recommendations for the private sector, including social media companies, but it will not focus on any specific online platform.
In recent months, social media companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google have faced intensified pressure to curb online harassment and extremist content. The companies have taken steps to clean up their platforms, but the problem still remains an issue across the Internet.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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