Violent threats against FEMA swirl on social media
Members of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force search a flood-damaged area with a search canine in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene along the Swannanoa River on October 4th in Asheville, North Carolina. | Photo by Mario Tama / Getty Images
FEMA employees scrambling to respond to the devastation caused by hurricanes Milton and Helene are facing a new, unexpected challenge: violent threats on social media.
TikTok posts either calling for violence or applauding unverified claims about physical attacks against FEMA personnel have garnered millions of views, according to a report yesterday from nonprofit Media Matters for America. X has also been fertile ground for threats of violence against FEMA, says another analysis published yesterday by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD).
“This content is reaching millions of people and, in some instances, poses a credible risk to public safety,” ISD says.
Social media misinformation has fed distrust in FEMA, which officials warn...