DIPLOMATIC ACADEMY OF VIETNAM ENGLISH LANGUAGE FACULTY END OF TERM ESSAY Subject Introduction to British and American Studies Topic The role of social media in the January 6th 2021 riot in Capitol Hil[.]
DIPLOMATIC ACADEMY OF VIETNAM ENGLISH LANGUAGE FACULTY END OF TERM ESSAY Subject: Introduction to British and American Studies Topic: The role of social media in the January 6th 2021 riot in Capitol Hill Instructor: Ms Nguyễn Minh Phương Student name: Student ID: Nguyễn Phương Mai TA46A-015-1923 Hà Nội – 2022 Table of Contents Introduction I Social media Social media usage in the United States Social media impacts on the U.S politics II 2021 United States Capitol attack Casualties The meaning of the Capitol lockdown The development of the riot III The role of social media in the Capitol riot 10 The role of social media in delivering, understanding and combating political chaos in the US 10 How Trump’s internet built and broadcast the Capitol insurrection 13 Will the Capitol Riots Force a Reconsideration of How Social Media Platforms Handle Free Speech 20 Conclusion 23 References 24 Introduction A crowd of 2,000–2,500 supporters of US President Donald Trump invaded the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C on January 6, 2021 They tried to sabotage President-elect Joe Biden's win in the 2020 presidential election by disrupting the joint session of Congress that was convened to tally electoral votes As protesters attacked law enforcement officials, destroyed property, and stormed the Capitol Complex for many hours, the facility was sealed down and politicians and employees were evacuated The disturbances at the Capitol on January certainly had a social media component All who love America and the liberties it stands for were gravely disturbed by the riots However, the reactions of businesses to deactivate social media accounts and even entire social media networks are concerning We must now face the fact that we have handed some of our most fundamental civil freedoms to companies with just shareholder duties, not democratic obligations The following essay will dig deeper into this phenomenon I Social media Social media usage in the United States The United States has one of the highest rates of social media adoption in the world Over 223 million Americans used social media in 2020 to share photos, like and comment on other people's material, and send private messages These platforms and services have become some of the most popular online activities of the previous decades, with over 70% of the US population having a social media account The number of social network users in the United States is expected to rise to over 243 million by 2025 The primary uses of social media are for entertainment, communication, news coverage, and business Social networks, media-sharing platforms, instant messaging services, and microblogging are the most popular platforms among internet users in the United States These websites and applications have become ingrained in the everyday lives of many internet users in the United States During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020, the average daily usage duration jumped from less than an hour in 2018 to 65 minutes in 2020 In March 2020, when many Americans began to sequester themselves at home, social media and other forms of digital communication witnessed an unprecedented surge in usage across the country Based on monthly active members, Facebook is the most popular social network in the United States The platform has over 190 million account holders in the United States by the start of 2021, with a market share of roughly 72 percent Facebook's dominant position in the industry is based on the fact that it is also the most popular mobile social networking app in the United States in terms of reach, engagement, and audience The importance of mobile-friendly user interfaces cannot be emphasized, given that smartphones accounted for 83 percent of social media visits in the United States at the end of 2019 Despite Facebook's dominance, alternative social media sites are gaining traction, particularly among teens and young adults in the United States Instagram, a popular photo and video-sharing app that has witnessed massive user growth in recent years, is one of the major players In the United States, the platform has 107.2 million users in 2019 and was expected to reach 120 million users by 2023 Marketers are increasingly adopting Instagram for advertising purposes, as the bulk of Instagram account holders are Millennial and Gen Z internet users, who make up the country's greatest potential customer base Brands can reach a huge audience and take advantage of the purchasing power of Instagram's growing community by posting sponsored photo, video, or story advertising In recent years, alternative social networks have drawn enormous audiences TikTok, a short-form video platform, was a crucial participant during the coronavirus epidemic, and short-form video is here to stay with fashionable, catchy, and easily accessible material Twitter, Pinterest, and Twitch are among the other sites that have seen a surge in popularity 2 Social media impacts on the U.S politics The movement in audience choice away from traditional mass media and toward digital sources has been one of the most remarkable trends of the last decade In the United States, this shift has had a profound impact on how individuals follow politics and what information they have access to As more people in the United States get live news updates on their social media feeds, these platforms are becoming more effective political instruments The impact of digital technology on the political arena in the United States is most visible in the usage of social media The way political campaigns are run, information is exchanged, and individuals connect with their elected representatives is constantly changing thanks to apps like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube During the 2016 presidential election and the 2018 midterm elections in the United States, social media was one of the most popular digital platforms for political parties and candidates to promote their views and engage with supporters Politicians spent about 1.8 billion dollars on digital advertising in 2018, making it the country's fastest-growing advertising channel During the 2020 presidential race, political spending on social media advertising surged even more: between January and May, incumbent President Donald Trump spent 40.87 million dollars on Facebook advertising, only being topped by then-Democratic presidential contender Michael Bloomberg In terms of content, President Trump was the candidate who spent the most money on immigration advertising On the other hand, social media users learn about and participate in political movements in addition to seeing, sharing, and commenting on political advertisements While reduced entry barriers and real-time news monitoring are considered as advancements in political engagement, social media can also be used to micro-target certain groups of individuals with specialized political campaign advertising Furthermore, social media firms' lack of control, mediation, and fact-checking makes these platforms a direct route of contact, which can encourage the propagation of disinformation, alternative facts, and false news According to a 2019 poll, half of internet users believe social media corporations should impose tougher standards for posting political information In May 2020, Twitter did just that, placing warning and fact-checking labels on a series of tweets by President Trump The social media platform has not only become one of the most important sources of political and electoral news in the United States in recent years, but it has also fundamentally altered how politicians, voters, and the press communicate Among members of the United States Congress, Twitter is by far the most popular social media network Despite the fact that 60% of Americans believe Trump's use of the app as President of the United States is improper, he is still the most followed leader on the planet II 2021 United States Capitol attack Thousands of President Donald Trump's fervent fans physically stormed the US Capitol building Wednesday, forcing evacuations, injuries, and arrests, as seen on live television Earlier in the day, protesters gathered on the National Mall to protest the November election results as Congress began tallying the Electoral College votes, but the demonstration quickly devolved into violence as Trump pushed his followers to proceed to the Capitol Rioters brandishing "Make America Great Again" caps and Trump flags shattered windows and stormed the Capitol's balcony, forcing Vice President Mike Pence to be escorted to a safe place and the Senate chamber to be evacuated Casualties During the rebellion, a lady was shot and transported to a hospital, where she was subsequently pronounced dead, and at least a dozen others were arrested According to Alaina Gertz, a spokeswoman for the Washington D.C police department, one lady was shot and brought to a hospital, where she was later declared dead, during clashes with security Her true identity has yet to be revealed A video shared to Twitter earlier on Wednesday claimed to show a woman inside the Capitol with blood pouring from her lips, as a guy responding to her yelled, "Where is she hit?" After surging inside the chambers, cops called for the mob to return, according to one witness, Thomas from New Jersey As they ran to the room windows, he stated the woman "didn't hear the call." "They shot her in the neck after that," Thomas explained During the pro-Trump protests in Washington, D.C., police chief Robert J Contee III stated at least 13 individuals were detained and five guns were confiscated It is projected that the number of arrests would increase Anyone seen on the streets after the p.m ET curfew will be detained, according to police The meaning of the Capitol lockdown Shortly after the Trump demonstrators burst past barricades, Capitol Police issued a lockdown order, prohibiting anybody from entering the building while senators and members of the House of Representatives were trapped, sometimes barricaded, inside their respective chambers Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C., has issued a nightly curfew for the city, which will begin at p.m local time The National Guard of Washington, D.C., has been activated to assist local law enforcement, according to the Pentagon The Capitol was pronounced secure after nearly three and a half hours of lockdown The development of the riot In the early afternoon, just a small squad of riot police waited at the back of the Capitol building Hundreds swarmed into the vicinity as activists called for a breach of the structure, according to reporters on the scene Wednesday Police seemed to retreat as protesters began climbing up the side of the building and onto the back balcony According to reports on the scene, police attempted to control one portion outside the building after the break-in but were swiftly swamped Men in police uniforms were seen taking pictures with rioters and dismantling exterior obstacles for them in videos posted on social media, which USA TODAY was unable to independently verify Civil rights activists chastised law enforcement for their delayed reaction to rioters, pointing to the enormous police presence at last year's Black Lives Matter protests in response to police deaths of unarmed Black men and women As the Senate went into lockdown, Pence, who was presiding over the Electoral College vote tally, was transported to a secure area Pence denounced the demonstrations, promising that individuals who took part will be prosecuted "to the fullest extent of the law." "The bloodshed and devastation at the US Capitol must come to an end, and it must come soon Anyone participating must show respect for law enforcement authorities and exit the facility immediately "Pence sent out a tweet - President Trump’s statements President Trump released a one-minute and seven-second video message on his Twitter account, shot outside the White House, hours after protests in his name devolved into violence at the US Capitol building He said in the video that the crowd should "go home in peace" and that "we love you, you're extremely wonderful." He made several false assertions about the election being rigged YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook have all taken down the video Trump sent out another tweet, this time writing, "These are the things that happen when great patriots who have been treated terribly and unfairly for a long time have their sacred landslide election win taken away so abruptly and violently Return home in peace and affection Remember this day for the rest of your life!" - President Joe Biden’s statements The tumult at the Capitol was described as "insurrection" and "chaos" by Biden, who will be inaugurated on Jan 20 He urged Trump to take action "stand up" and "go on national television right now to fulfill his oath of office and protect the Constitution by calling for an end to the siege." ""What we're seeing is a tiny group of fanatics bent on breaking the law." This isn't dissent; it's anarchy and mayhem It's very close to sedition And it has to cease right now," Biden declared from Wilmington, Delaware's Queen Theater "I implore this mob to stand down right now and let democracy's job to continue.” - Rioter’s identity Following months of Trump's bogus allegations of election fraud, a mob of maskless Trump supporters invaded Capitol Hill, many wearing patriotic colors and "MAGA" clothing The rioters were described as "special individuals" by Trump, who added that he and his fans adored them Despite a p.m ET curfew set after rioters stormed the Capitol, dozens of pro-Trump protestors stayed on the streets of the nation's capital At a rally outside the White House earlier Wednesday, Trump urged supporters to march to Capitol Hill, where the House and Senate were meeting in joint session to tally the electoral votes and formally certify Biden's victory Trump continued his litany of bogus assertions about the election during his campaign-style protest rally The usually regular process of tallying Electoral College votes has been presented by Trump as a test of devotion to him and his proven claims At the gathering, Trump urged his supporters, "We will never give up, we will never concede." The president told the gathering that "radical democrats" and the "fake news media" had "rigged" the election, and he urged "weak Republicans" to overturn Biden's triumph “We're going to walk down there, and I'll be there with you, we're going to walk down to the Capitol and we are going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women," Trump told the crowd "And we're probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them Because you'll never take back our country with weakness You have to show strength and you have to be strong." III The role of social media in the Capitol riot The role of social media in delivering, understanding and combating political chaos in the US - Past vs Future The year 2020 was not at all what anyone had anticipated It contained worry and anxiety over the United States election results, which were reaffirmed by the United States Electoral College on December 14th in favor of former Vice President Joe Biden as President-elect Trump supporters, who feel there were evident indicators of voting fraud and political corruption, contested and pushed back against these findings As the year 2021 began, the country was hoping for hope, resiliency, and togetherness to counteract the challenges of the previous year On Wednesday, January 6th, the United States made international headlines when a presidential protest over election results became violent at the United States Capitol building in Washington, D.C – leading to the first Capitol building insurgency since British forces set fire to it during the War of 1812 - The days leading up to the 6th of January Throughout November, December, and early January, there were several signals of political discontent among Trump supporters on social media Platforms like Twitter flagged messages that provided false information before the election Trump's online postings were promptly contested by platforms as a method of disseminating disinformation during the height of the political tensions in November and December New tweets with the hashtag "Stop The Steal" were consistently posted on Twitter many weeks before the Capitol siege Between Dec 23 and Jan 7, the SITE (Search for International Terrorist Entities) Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist organizations, submitted more than two dozen notifications to federal authorities, citing the increased potential of violence associated with the upcoming meeting According to the Washington Post, there had been some angry and hostile conversation on Twitter and Facebook, as well as niche conservative sites like TheDonald.win, Gab, and Parler The US Capitol and the Mall in Washington, the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City, and other major places in Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio, were all considered for event preparation Participants were seen on Gab visiting Congressional offices for both House and Senate leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and performing a thorough search for Vice President Mike Pence in Senate chambers, according to the New York Times Since January 1, there have been more than 1,250 tweets on Twitter from accounts associated with QAnon conspiracy theories concerning Wednesday's events containing phrases of violence, according to CNN Business - The political spotlight shines on social media According to Washington D.C police director Robert Contee, 41 persons were detained on Capitol grounds late Wednesday and early Thursday During or immediately after the incident, several participants freely posed for photographs and films from within the Capitol, which were then put on social media and verified livestream accounts, revealing conduct that constituted significant felonies Many rioters stood in front of cameras dressed in distinctive garb, including ID badges in some cases As the hunt for Capitol rioters continues, social media networks are quickly eliminating Donald Trump's account, as well as accounts linked to pro-Trump violence and theories, such as QAnon and #StoptheSteal Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, SnapChat, Apple (app store), Google (app store), Pinterest, Twitch, Reddit, Shopify, and many more sites had banned or restricted accounts as of Sunday evening In the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol, huge internet corporations including Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Salesforce, as well as other businesses around the country, began efforts Monday to suspend political donations Parler, a "free speech" social network, has been removed from Google's app store for failing to delete "egregious information." Parler bills itself as a "unbiased" social media platform, and it's been popular among those who have been banned from Twitter The app has failed to delete postings that incited violence, according to Google Apple has also informed Parler that if the app does not meet its content-moderation rules, it would be removed from the app store Following Amazon Web Services' decision to ban them from its cloud hosting service, Parler filed a lawsuit against the company on Monday The importance of social media in law enforcement and what to expect in the future Law enforcement used social media extensively to seek out and prosecute rioters Throughout the turmoil, several rioters shared photographs and video of themselves and the individuals they were with on different social media networks Even if the individuals sought to delete their posts, media outlets and other users had already copied and shared the photographs and videos The FBI is asking the American public to assist identify persons who took part in the pro-Trump rioting at the US Capitol by using social media This includes selfies shared by attendees as well as recordings of Trump supporters at nearby hotels before to the event The FBI's Washington Field Office announced Thursday that it has received over 4,000 internet tips, including images and videos of individuals rioting at the Capitol Parler's search algorithm, from a social media algorithm standpoint, employs hashtags to speed up conversations and make it simpler to share material for its conservative consumers Conservative users are rushing to alternative platforms like Telegram, Rumble, MeWe, 2nd1st, and others to keep their thoughts heard since their legal battle with Amazon began last week As the week unfolds, the potential of another violent assault around the inauguration will become more prominent in the press As the next four years of a new political environment begin, cyber intelligence units and the American people will continue to closely monitor social media for threats of more violence However, social media will undoubtedly remain in the limelight How Trump’s internet built and broadcast the Capitol insurrection On Christmas Day, Ali Alexander, a far-right activist and conspiracy theorist, uploaded a video to YouTube inviting people to travel to Washington, DC, on the day Congress would vote on Joe Biden's election to the US presidency The video portrays President Trump addressing a rally, stating, "We will never give in." It has a celebratory music We will never surrender, and we will never give up "We will never, ever give up." It encourages individuals to sign up on a website called WildProtest.com and to arrive to the Capitol building by p.m on the day of the event The website even promised to assist individuals in finding transportation to the event This was only one of several online groups' actions in support of the insurgency at the US Capitol on Wednesday, which left at least five people dead and many more injured For years, several of these organizations have been creating anticipation for such an event on the internet They organized Wednesday's event on social media and happily livestreamed the devastation as it happened The incidents mark a watershed moment in the country's dealing with the consequences of internet extremism While disinformation experts have been warning for years about the rising popularity of organizations like QAnon, the Proud Boys, and neoNazis, the assault of the Capitol on Wednesday provided the strongest evidence yet that these movements threaten to undermine American democracy It's clearly apparent that internet radicals, fueled and encouraged by Trump, have a real-world influence on American politics Despite the fact that Facebook and Twitter have taken unprecedented steps to limit Trump's accounts in the aftermath of the disaster, many of the president's social media supporters have already established deeply intertwined networks of online communities that continue to encourage future chaos and cast doubt on the democratic process The Capitol mob began planning for the violence on January weeks earlier, using sites like Parler and Gab to plan inside conspiracy theory and far-right online forums When they stormed the Capitol and publicized the breach around the internet, groups who usually operate in the shadows leapt into the spotlight The event illustrated how online radicalization can escalate to violence and even harm US democracy, according to many experts who have long cautioned that internet companies have not done enough to combat extremism and disinformation The chaos and violence in Washington on January brought a large crowd as well More than 23 million people tuned in to cable news channels to witness the event — it was CNN's most-watched day in 40 years, with an average of 5.22 million viewers — and millions more watched it online via livestreams According to Zignal Labs, a business that measures internet disinformation, there were more than 4.6 million references of unrest at the Capitol between 12 a.m and 6:30 p.m ET that day Once Trump spoke at the "Save America" event in front of the White House, the number of mentions skyrocketed, and then skyrocketed again after the mob stormed the Capitol While the turbulence was breathtaking, it was not unexpected The gangs who stormed Capitol Hill this week have long been active on sites like Gab and 4chan, and they've just begun to use newer technologies to coordinate, such as Parler, a lightly monitored social networking site, and Telegram, an anonymous messaging app Some people have continued to use popular social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube Still, some argue that the coming together of these different online networks and going to the streets on live television was unavoidable "Online extremism is never simply online," said Nina Jankowicz, a researcher at the Woodrow Wilson Center who studies online falsehoods "This year, we've seen a lot of hate speech and incitement spilling over into real life." "What occurred yesterday was just a continuation of that." - The Capitol riot was the result of years of internet radicalization Members of far-right militia groups like the Three Percenters, QAnon, and the Proud Boys, as well as hordes of white racists and conspiracy theorists, have been allowed to amass and expand on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter for years While the major social media platforms have taken steps to limit or even prohibit the organizations, many had already developed a substantial level of organization, prompting opponents to argue that the crackdown came too late "For years, social media companies' algorithms have aided misinformation and farright organizing," said Fadi Quran, campaign director at the human rights organization Avaaz "We saw QAnon conspiracists and other militias in DC that would never have grown to this magnitude if Facebook and Twitter hadn't turbo-charged them." "The platforms are still reacting with Band-Aid measures rather than the surgical procedures required to cure this problem, such as detoxifying their algorithms and offering unambiguous retroactive fixes," he continued Violent actions like Charlottesville's "Unite the Right" protest, the Christchurch mosque massacre, and the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting all have their roots in internet fury and prejudice Trump and his high-profile supporters have also become instigators, which is indisputable By spreading misinformation and false claims that the election was stolen — and by giving tacit approval to groups like QAnon and the Proud Boys — Trump’s online rhetoric excited his base and encouraged the storming of the Capitol ProTrump websites on popular social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter hyped the event, with some citing Trump's December tweet that January would be "crazy." Meanwhile, pro-Trump websites such as trumpmarch.com, wildprotest.com, and stopthesteal.us raised interest in the march Specific instructions for seizing the Capitol have also been seen on forums like Parler, 4chan, and Gab "These are unmoderated private places where only people with extreme and radical ideas spend their time," said Jonathon Morgan, CEO of Yonder, an artificial intelligence company that analyzes disinformation "This implies that the information diet they're eating is absolutely homogeneous, which speeds up the process." These were the places where those planning to attend Trump's "Save America" event on January openly discussed the possibility of violence According to the New York Times, participants talked about the guns they planned to bring to the event in a Facebook group called RedState Secession, which was subsequently taken down Telegram, Parler, Reddit, and sites like TheDonald.win, a forum that is an offshoot of a banned Donald Trump subreddit, were all used to discuss smuggling firearms into the event A spate of hashtags suggested that violence would occur at the demonstration in the weeks and days leading up to January According to research from First Draft, a misinformation and disinformation research firm, many people used the hashtag #Jan6 to express excitement about the date, but others used hashtags like #wildprotest (presumably in response to Trump's "wild" tweet), #fightback, and #midnightride to imply even more disruption On the platforms Yonder monitors, there have been almost 367,000 postings suggesting "civil war." Morgan points out that while Twitter accounts for the vast bulk of these messages, tweets concerning civil war are more likely to originate from Parler and 4chan users, as well as online groupings such as the Proud Boys, white nationalist radicals, and QAnon forums Meanwhile, Trump continued to enrage his supporters In a tweet, Trump added that Washington is "being overwhelmed with folks who don't want an election stolen." And if the fuse for an explosive situation had been laid out in the weeks preceding the event, Trump lit the match when he concluded his speech at the rally by declaring that he and his supporters were going to give Republicans the “kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.” "Walk down Pennsylvania Avenue," Trump said to the throng - During the riots, the mob remained online As the demonstration devolved into an insurgency on Capitol Hill, large sections of internet agitators cheered the event's violence from afar Commenters pushed the crowd to break into the Capitol building as they broadcast footage and commented about their exploits on social media One of the more popular livestreamers there was Tim Gionet, who goes by the online moniker Baked Alaska Before January 6, the 33-year-old was well-known: the Southern Poverty Law Center had already dubbed him a white nationalist, and he'd been banned from both Twitter and YouTube He resorted to DLive, a blockchain-based service where he has over 16,000 followers, on the day of the Capitol insurgency One video, which has been seen over 7,000 times, shows Gionet strolling about the Capitol with a brown jacket and black cap while the livestream's viewers push him to go inside One person replied to Gionet, "They're assaulting the Capitol." "TRUMP GAVE YOU AN ORDER TO STORM THE CAPITOL RIGHT NOW," another commented Soon later, Gionet moved closer to the building with another group of Trump fans After that stream terminated, Gionet uploaded a fresh video from inside the building While trolls encouraged greater violence, he attempted to call President Trump on a congressional phone One person wrote, "SMASH THE WINDOW." Another wrote, "HANG ALL THE CONGRESSMEN." (Law police finally ejected Gionet out of the Capitol building, which he broadcast.) Ali Alexander, a notable advocate of "stop the theft" demands on social media, which are based on the conspiracy belief that Trump's victory was stolen, was also in attendance in Washington on that day "If DC escalates so we," Alexander told his 41,000 Parler followers in the days leading up to the event "DC becomes FORT TRUMP" on the day of the event, he promised his supporters Alexander also advised attendees to "keep each other safe & rowdy" on January Another "stop the theft" Parler account, with almost 200,000 followers, praised the Capitol takeover as "one of the greatest gatherings in history" after the incident The remainder of the gang used Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to tell their experiences to smaller groups As Sara Morrison of Recode points out, a large number of people involved in the Capitol insurgency posed for photographs and films, some of which documented the damage and violence that they helped to propagate Several of them were eventually arrested as a result of their participation While many people were surprised to see the US democracy at jeopardy, radical social media circles were elated, emboldened and energized by the pictures of rioting, looting, and injury Almost soon after hearing that someone had been slain, some social media users portrayed her as a martyr for their cause, rather than someone who had committed what has been referred to as an act of domestic terrorism The digital footprint left by the perpetrators of Wednesday's carnage is acting as fuel for more radicalism And, thus far, social media firms haven't been able or willing to much about it According to Robert Evans, an investigative journalist with the research collective Bellingcat, posts commemorating the events of Wednesday will continue to spread and may motivate more similar acts in the future "The type of experience that a lot of people experienced on the 6th, especially the more intense ones," Evans added, "is not wholly different to a drug." "Storming the Capitol gave them a strong high, and they'll be hunting for the next high, at least the ones who don't end up in detention." - Things may deteriorate Following the events of Wednesday, social media firms said that they will step up their efforts to remove calls for violence from their platforms They also took more drastic actions against President Donald Trump than they had ever taken before, barring his ability to post on Facebook until the end of his term, if not forever Many, though, believe it is too late and insufficient "Over the last four years, the platforms haven't taken action," said Jankowicz of the Woodrow Wilson Center "There have been a few of notable occurrences." But, for the most part, the response has been, "Yeah, it's fine to publish hate speech; we'll just ignore it." That line has finally been crossed." While restricting Trump's ability to post is a step in the right direction, it doesn't solve the problem of online extremism "There's no action that they can take in any one situation that would fix the fundamental problem that they caused," Morgan, the Yonder CEO, says of social media giants' role in all of this Similar sentiments have been made by a number of members of Congress In a statement, Sen Mark Warner stated, "These isolated efforts are both too late and not nearly enough." "As I've repeatedly stated, these platforms have served as core organizing infrastructure for violent, far-right groups and militia movements for several years, assisting them in recruiting, organizing, and coordinating, as well as generating revenue in many cases (particularly in the case of YouTube)." Following Facebook's decision, Sen Joe Manchin called on Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to suspend Donald Trump from Twitter for the rest of his administration Even if major sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube continue to prohibit Trump and his supporters' violent speech, those supporters may just shift to fringe platforms such as Gab and Parler, which welcome them with open arms But it's certain that the platforms will be held accountable, and their involvement in the events of Wednesday will be investigated much more closely "We'll be dealing with the consequences of this for a long time," Jankowicz added "It makes no difference that Trump's Facebook account is suspended for the next two weeks The barrier between offline and online extremism — if there ever was one — has been dissolved, and that infrastructure and behavior are now part of society." Will the Capitol Riots Force a Reconsideration of How Social Media Platforms Handle Free Speech Will this week's events signal a shift in social media companies' content moderation and restriction policies, particularly in the context of violent movements and politically driven debate? Following the riots at the Capitol building on Wednesday, which were sparked, at least in part, by US President Donald Trump's call for his supporters to mobilize and even fight for him in a last-ditch effort to overturn the election result, all of the major social media platforms took action against the President and his ardent supporters in varying ways In order to facilitate a smooth transition to the Biden administration, Facebook suspended Trump's account indefinitely The same verdict will apply to Trump's Instagram accounts, which are controlled by Facebook Due to rule violations, Twitter temporarily suspended Trump's account Trump's account was restored the next day once the offensive comments were removed President Trump's Snapchat account has been blocked YouTube has announced harsher regulations for any election propaganda, including Trump and his team's videos TikTok started eliminating recordings of Trump's rallies and redirecting hashtags like #stormthecapitol and #patriotparty Reddit has taken down the r/donaldtrump forum and underlined its restrictions on anything that promotes hate or violence Given Trump's history of utilizing social media as a platform for his divisive agenda, many feel these steps were long overdue, but others have correctly pointed out ... at the United States Capitol building in Washington, D.C – leading to the first Capitol building insurgency since British forces set fire to it during the War of 1812 - The days leading up to the. .. States Capitol attack Casualties The meaning of the Capitol lockdown The development of the riot III The role of social media in the Capitol riot ... three and a half hours of lockdown The development of the riot In the early afternoon, just a small squad of riot police waited at the back of the Capitol building Hundreds swarmed into the vicinity