{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/peters-investigative-report-shows-dhs-and-fbi-are-not-adequately-addressing-domestic-terrorism-threat", "Peters Investigative Report Shows DHS and FBI Are Not Adequately Addressing Domestic Terrorism Threat", "2022-11-16", "2022", "2022-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MI", "Gary C. Peters", "P000595", "www.peters.senate.gov", "garypeters", "https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released a new report detailing the results of his investigation into the rise of domestic terrorism, including white supremacist and anti-government violence. The report found that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have failed to effectively track and report data on the domestic terrorism threat despite being required to do so by a 2019 law spearheaded by Peters. The investigation also found that while independent experts and national security officials call white supremacist and anti-government violence the most significant terrorist threat facing our nation today, this lack of data has limited Congress\u2019 ability to determine whether counterterrorism agencies are allocating resources to effectively address the growing threat posed by domestic terrorism.\n\nThe investigation also found that social media companies\u2019 current incentive structures are designed to generate revenues and keep users engaged and \u2013 as a result \u2013 product development processes do not incorporate safety and platforms\u2019 recommendation algorithms and other products end up amplifying dangerous and radicalizing extremist content, including white supremacist and anti-government content. The report offers recommended actions that lawmakers should take to hold DHS, the FBI, and social media companies accountable for failing to provide transparency on how they are working to counter the threat of domestic extremism.\n\n\u201cFrom the horrific shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue to the tragic January 6th attack on the Capitol to the deadly shooting targeting the African American community in Buffalo, and too many other attacks \u2013 we have seen firsthand how violence inspired by white supremacist and anti-government extremists terrorizes communities across the nation,\u201d said Senator Peters. \u201cDHS and FBI\u2019s inability to provide comprehensive data on the domestic terrorist threat creates serious concerns that they are not effectively prioritizing our counterterrorism resources to address the rising domestic terrorist threat.\u201d\n\nPeters continued: \u201cMy investigation also found that social media companies are contributing to the spread of domestic extremist content that often translates into this real world violence by prioritizing revenue and user engagement over online safety. My report makes important recommendations about the need to increase transparency and accountability to address how these platforms are spreading dangerous and extreme content.\u201d\n\nREAD THE FULL REPORT: \u201cThe Rising Threat of Domestic Terrorism, A Review of the Federal Response to Domestic Terrorism and the Spread of Extremist Content on Social Media\u201d\n\nREAD THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY\n\nThe report\u2019s key findings include:\n\nDomestic terrorism has been increasing over the last several years, surpassing international terrorism as the most significant terrorism threat to the United States;\n\nWhite supremacist extremists pose the primary threat among all domestic violent extremists;\n\nSince the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, additional counterterrorism authorities and resources for the federal government have been focused primarily on international terrorist threats;\n\nDHS and FBI have not fully complied with requirements in federal law to collect and report data on domestic terrorist attacks; and\n\nExtremist content continues to proliferate on social media platforms, at least partially driven by the companies\u2019 own business models, which prioritize engagement, profits, and growth over safety.\n\nThe report makes key recommendations, including:\n\nReassess the federal government\u2019s counterterrorism efforts;\n\nCreate accountability for DHS and FBI to comply with data reporting requirements and create measurable criteria to assess counterterrorism efforts;\n\nClarify and improve federal agency guidelines on the use of social media while respecting individuals\u2019 constitutional rights;\n\nCreate accountability for social media companies to prioritize safety on their platforms; and\n\nEstablish trust and safety as prioritized metrics for social media companies.\n\nAccording to national security officials and independent organizations, the number of domestic terrorism attacks inspired by white supremacist and anti-government ideologies has continued to rise. According to the Anti-Defamation League, from 2012 to 2021, domestic extremists have been responsible for 443 deaths, with over 50 percent of the deaths caused by white supremacists. Peters\u2019 report shows that while our nation must continue to monitor and combat international terrorism, the federal government must utilize a data-driven approach to align resources to address the threat of domestic terrorism.\n\nPeters\u2019 report also found that the business models of social media companies \u2013 particularly Meta, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube \u2013 have also allowed the rapid spread of extremist ideologies. According to one study cited in the report, social media played a role in the radicalization of perpetrators involved in over 90 percent of extremist plots or activities in the United States in 2016 alone. During the course of his investigation, Peters found that while social media companies often tout investments in trust and safety, the platforms continue to amplify white supremacist and anti-government content, and they lack incentives and safeguards that would ensure their products are not contributing to the spread of this harmful rhetoric. Despite repeated requests for these companies to provide more information on how they are working to prevent the spread of extremist content \u2013 the platforms provided little transparency.\n\nThe investigation builds on Peters\u2019 longstanding efforts to examine the rising threat of domestic terrorism, including white supremacist and anti-government violence. Peters led the Senate\u2019s bipartisan investigation and released a joint bipartisan report on the security, planning, and response failures related to the violent and unprecedented attack on the U.S. Capitol by domestic terrorists on January 6th. In June, he convened a hearing with experts focusing on the threat of white supremacist extremism, including violence inspired by racist ideologies such as the Great Replacement Theory. Peters also convened a two-part hearing with experts representing faith-based, civil rights, and academic and policy research organizations on the continued rise of domestic terrorism, including white supremacist and anti-government violence. In 2019, Peters helped convene the Committee\u2019s first domestic terrorism hearing with a focus on white supremacist violence.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/peters-investigative-report-shows-dhs-and-fbi-are-not-adequately-addressing-domestic-terrorism-threat"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4926039148122072, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}