While we often think about those who commit mass violence as acting individually, we must reckon with the fact that these extremists are never alone online, writes BKC affiliate Joan Donovan.
“Extremists tend to return to message boards because these spaces are largely unmoderated and do not track users in the way that major platforms do. Those features can support the open sharing of racist, misogynistic and other extreme beliefs.
My point here isn’t that we must get rid of message boards, because that is impossible. Rather, we need to be aware of how technology can be used to bring together these disparate individuals and unite in a common cause,” Donovan writes.