US alleges white supremacists attempted to use Telegram to incite race war, reports Reuters

By Andrew Goudsward

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. prosecutors announced criminal charges on Monday against two individuals believed to be leaders of a white supremacist gang, alleging that they utilized a messaging platform to incite violence against Black, Jewish, LGBTQ individuals, and immigrants in an effort to provoke a race war.

The group, known as "The Terrorgram Collective," reportedly used the platform to celebrate acts of racial violence globally and to encourage racially motivated attacks, as indicated in an indictment released in federal court in Sacramento, California.

Dallas Humber, 34, from Elk Grove, California, and Matthew Allison, 37, from Boise, Idaho, are facing 15 criminal charges each, which include soliciting hate crimes and conspiring to provide material support for terrorism. Both individuals are currently in custody, and it remains unclear whether they have legal representation.

The most severe charges could result in penalties of up to 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors stated that the group’s targets extended to U.S. government officials and critical infrastructure, with the aim of triggering societal collapse in the United States, according to U.S. Justice Department officials during an online press briefing.

"This indictment reflects the department’s recognition of the evolving landscape of white supremacist violence as those advocating for mass violence increasingly utilize online platforms to promote and facilitate terrorist activities," said Kristen Clarke, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

Humber and Allison allegedly contributed to the creation and dissemination of a document that justified the group’s ideology and contained detailed instructions on executing terrorist acts, including bomb-making guidelines.

Prosecutors also claimed that the duo worked on a list of "high-value" targets for assassination, which included a sitting U.S. senator and a federal judge perceived as adversaries to the white supremacist agenda.

Since becoming leaders of the group in 2022, Humber and Allison have overseen a network of channels and group chats on the messaging platform that provided a space for individuals to promote white supremacist violence, according to the indictment.

The messaging service is under scrutiny following the detention of its founder, who was arrested in France last month due to an investigation into child exploitation and other criminal activities associated with the platform.

He has since been released and condemned his detention, reigniting discussions around free speech and accountability for social media executives concerning the content shared on their platforms. The founder has committed to addressing the criticisms related to the app’s moderation policies, while a representative for the messaging service has not provided comment on the recent indictment.