Cramer: Protecting the Homeland: House Passes H.R. 3654 Combat Terrorist Use of Social Media Act of 2015

Press Release

Congressman Kevin Cramer announced today the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3654, the Combat Terrorist Use of Social Media Act of 2015. The bill requires the President to report to Congress on how terrorists and terrorist organizations currently use social media as well as provide a detailed summary of the government's efforts to disrupt and counter terrorists' use of social media.

The use of social media by terrorists and terrorist organizations to encourage and inspire individuals to commit acts of terrorism has dramatically increased in recent years. A 2015 Brookings Institution report found at least 46,000 Twitter accounts were used by ISIS supporters between October and November of last year, and nearly 20 percent of those accounts designated English as their primary language. In 2011, the Administration acknowledged "the Internet has become an increasingly potent element in radicalization to violence, enabling violent extremists abroad to directly communicate to target audiences in the United States."

"The recent terrorist attack in San Bernardino highlights how terrorists and terrorist organizations utilize social media to communicate and to radicalize individuals," said Cramer. "Americans are at risk because this Administration has failed to follow through on its' 2011 plan to address the social media battlefield against terrorists. This legislation requires the Administration to confront this threat head-on and ensure our government is doing everything it can to protect us from future attacks."

H.R. 3654 requires the President, within 90 days of enactment, to report to Congress on the U.S. strategy to combat the use of social media by terrorists and terrorist organizations. The report must include:

An evaluation of what role social media plays in radicalization in the United States and elsewhere;

An analysis of how terrorists and terrorist organizations are using social media, including trends;

A summary of the Federal Government's efforts to disrupt and counter the use of social media by terrorists and terrorist organizations, an evaluation of the success of such efforts, and recommendations for improvement;

An analysis of how social media is being used for counter-radicalization and counter-propaganda purposes, irrespective of whether or not such efforts are made by the Federal Government;

An assessment of the value of social media posts by terrorists and terrorist organizations to law enforcement; and,

An overview of social media training available to law enforcement and intelligence personnel that enables such personnel to understand and combat the use of social media by terrorists and terrorist organizations, as well as recommendations for improving or expanding existing training opportunities.
The bill also requires the President, within 180 days of enactment, to submit to Congress a comprehensive strategy to counter terrorist use of social media, as referenced in the President's 2011 ""Strategic Implementation Plan for Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States."

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