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Hate Groups Thrive On Social Media: What Can Be Done?

By Steve Goldstein
Published: Tuesday, April 30, 2019 - 1:55pm

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Foil heart on fence after hate crime.
Laurel Morales/KJZZ
A foil heart encouraging others to spread love after a hate crime at the Jewish Community Center.

Certain online locations have been comfortable spaces for hate groups over the last few years, and that has only been on the upswing lately.

The suspected gunman in an attack on a Jewish congregation near San Diego was suspected of putting racist and anti-Semitic messages on one particular site before the attack. That specific post mentioned the mass shooting at a New Zealand mosque, which could be watched as it happened on Facebook Live.

Social media has made it much easier for so-called hate groups to rapidly spread their views. So what can individuals and groups hoping to combat that hatred do?

Henry Fernandez is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, which has teamed up with other organizations to come up with policy recommendations for online companies.

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