What is the Terrorgram Collective? – Firstpost

The US Department of Justice on Monday filed comprehensive charges against two leaders of the Terrorgram Collectivean extremist, white supremacist network accused of planning a global campaign of racially motivated violence via the social media app Telegram.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, 34-year-old Dallas Humber of Elk Grove, California, and 37-year-old Matthew Allison of Boise, Idaho, are behind a wave of extremist content designed to incite hate crimes, murder, and ultimately the breakdown of society and trigger a race war.

The indictment highlighted the growing threat posed by extremist groups operating in the dark corners of the internet, using platforms such as Telegram to spread racist propaganda and incite violence.

The case has also brought to the fore Telegram's role as a host for hate groups and the moderation difficulties associated with it. Telegram's founder Pavel Durov was recently arrested in France on unrelated charges related to using the platform for criminal activity.

Who is the Terrorgram Collective?

The Terrorgram Collective is an online white supremacist network that originated on Telegram, a messaging platform known for its privacy and encryption features. According to the indictment, Humber and Allison took over leadership of the group in 2022 after the previous leaders were investigated for terrorism-related charges.

The collective is built around the ideology of “white supremacist accelerationism,” which assumes that the collapse of society and a race war are necessary to establish a white ethnostate.

The group operates through Telegram, an app that allows users to create private, encrypted channels and group chats, providing extremist networks with the cover they need to spread their ideology without fear of detection.

“Today's indictment charges the defendants with leading a transnational terrorist group dedicated to attacking America's critical infrastructure, targeting a hit list of our nation's public officials, and committing deadly hate crimes – all in the name of the violent ideology of white supremacy,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. “Today's arrests are a warning that you cannot hide when you commit hate-fueled crimes in the darkest corners of the internet, nor are you protected when you call for terrorist attacks from behind a screen. The U.S. Department of Justice will find you, and we will hold you accountable.”

How does this group work?

The group uses multiple Telegram channels and group chats to spread content that incites violence. This content often glorifies past white supremacist attacks, offers instructions on how to carry out violent acts, and calls on its followers to attack ethnic minorities, government officials, and critical infrastructure.

Their goal, prosecutors argue, is not only to spread hatred, but also to incite their followers to commit acts of terrorism in the real world.

The Terrorgram Collective used Telegram to spread its violent message to a global audience and called on its followers to carry out attacks wherever possible. The indictment alleges that the group's leaders called for attacks on key infrastructure, such as government buildings and energy facilities, because they believed such acts would hasten the collapse of society.

Court documents show how Humber and Allison encouraged their followers with slogans like “Act Now” and “Do Your Part,” inciting members to commit acts of violence. Prosecutors say they provided instructions on how to build bombs and tactical advice on how to carry out terrorist attacks. In one case, a follower allegedly used their instructions to plan an attack on a New Jersey energy facility.

The Terrorgram Collective's Its digital reach is enormous. Prosecutors said the group's influence extends far beyond the United States, inspiring attacks across Europe and even in Turkey.

The online nature of the group makes it difficult for authorities to track down and dismantle it, as its content is spread across multiple channels and often disappears as quickly as it appears. This gives the collective a degree of anonymity and protection from immediate action by law enforcement.

In US court documents, the collective is described as a “hub” for racially motivated violence, whose members are encouraged to become “saints” through acts of terror. One of their documents, *The Hard Reset*, offers detailed instructions on how to make explosives such as napalm, pipe bombs and chlorine gas, while another, *The List*, names “high-value” targets for assassination, including government officials and prominent figures.

Prosecutors allege the couple created a hit list that included a U.S. senator, a federal district judge, a former U.S. attorney and others viewed as enemies of white supremacy.

What charges are the defendant accused of?

The indictment alleges that Humber and Allison not only spread hate speech, but actively encouraged and equipped their followers to carry out attacks. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Clarke said the indictment “reflects the Department's response to the new technological face of white supremacist violence.”

The group's content allegedly included instructions on how to make bombs and detailed strategies for avoiding police detection when carrying out attacks on government buildings and energy infrastructure.

Leader of a transnational terrorist group charged with inciting hate crimes, inciting the murder of federal officials and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists

🔗: pic.twitter.com/xKOrkqQn3b

— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) 9 September 2024

Among the most shocking revelations is that the group celebrates acts of violence committed by its followers. The indictment cites several examples, including the stabbing of five people outside a mosque in Turkey in 2022 and a fatal shooting at an LGBTQ bar in Slovakia that killed two people. An attack on energy facilities in New Jersey was also mentioned in the indictment.

The attackers were praised and their actions glorified by Terrorgram CollectiveIn the case of the Slovakian assassin, Humber is said to have read out his manifesto and published it as an audio book, declaring himself the “first saint” of the group.

Humber and Allison are accused of making a 24-minute documentary entitled White Terrorwhich commemorates 105 acts of violence committed by white racists between 1968 and 2021.

The film describes the attackers as “the best of our brothers” and assures future perpetrators that their actions will be immortalized. Prosecutors say the documentary and other propaganda materials are designed to radicalize followers and push them to commit acts of violence.

What role did Telegram play in this?

Telegram, founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov, has come under fire for its role in spreading extremist content. Although the app is widely used for legitimate purposes, it is also notorious as a platform for criminal networks, extremist groups and terrorists.

Telegram's privacy features and lax moderation policies have made it a preferred choice for groups like the Terrorgram Collective.

Durov himself was arrested in France last month on charges of using the platform for criminal activities including drug trafficking and child pornography. He has since been released, but the case has reignited debate about the responsibility of social media managers for the content shared on their platforms.

Durov defended Telegram, saying that while the app is not an “anarchic paradise,” the rapid growth of its user base – reportedly around 950 million – makes it difficult to control. He vowed to crack down harder on harmful content, saying: “We remove millions of harmful posts and channels every day.”

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Despite these assurances, Telegram's moderation efforts have been criticized as inadequate. A Telegram spokesperson, Remi Vaughn, reiterated: “Calls for violence have no place on the Telegram platform. Moderators removed several channels that used variations of the name 'Terrorgram' when they were discovered years ago. Similar content is banned whenever it appears.”

However Terrorgram Collective remains active, highlighting the difficulties of completely removing extremist content from digital platforms. Telegram’s emphasis on user privacy, combined with the platform’s global reach, creates an environment where groups like Terrorgram can continue to thrive in relative anonymity.

What happens next?

Both Humber and Allison are charged with a total of 15 felony counts, including conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, incitement to commit hate crimes and incitement to murder federal officers. If convicted on all counts, both face up to 220 years in prison.

Humber has pleaded not guilty to the charges and it is unclear whether Allison has legal representation. The charges also raise concerns about the growing influence of extremist online networks and the challenge of policing hate speech and terrorism in the digital age.

The U.S. Department of Justice has made it clear that it is ready to combat this new form of digital extremism. “This case reflects the Department's determination to hold accountable those who hide behind computer screens to incite violence and terrorism,” said Kristen Clarke.

US Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen added: “These are not just words. They are intended to inspire others to commit acts of violence in the real world, and they provide the means and encouragement to do so.”

With contributions from agencies