Swift ramifications await Proud Boys if branded by feds as terrorist group

Members risk losing banking privileges, may face restrictions on travel

The federal government is being urged to designate the Proud Boys a terrorist entity. But what then?

In the eventuality the government did add the Proud Boys, white supremacist or neo-Nazi groups to its list of terrorist entities, don’t expect CSIS agents or RCMP officers to suddenly start knocking on members’ doors, experts say.

There could, that said, be swift ramifications.

First, any assets being held in financial institutions in the name of the group would likely be seized and frozen, says Jessica Davis, a former CSIS senior intelligence analyst and now president of Insight Threat Intelligence.

In the case of groups such as the Proud Boys, which members of Parliament this week called on the Liberal government to designate as a terrorist entity, that impact would likely be minimal, Davis said. “I don’t think the Ottawa chapter of Proud Boys has a bank account in their name,” she said.

What happens next, though, could have more sting. “When the group gets listed (as a terrorist entity), banks, social media companies and a number of other private actors may use that as a reason to disassociate themselves from any members who have been publicly outed as supporters of the group,” she said.

“They would probably find it difficult to conduct financial transactions, open a bank account or even have access to their own bank account. We might see a wave of de-risking by banks, of closing accounts.

The banks don’t want to be seen to be facilitating anything on behalf of a terrorist group or individual who could be considered a terrorist.”

Similarly, terrorist group designations would likely prompt social media companies to deactivate accounts and remove content associated with those groups. Facebook has already banned Proud Boys from its platform and last year removed hundreds of accounts because of concerns its messages could incite violence.

Individual members’ ability to travel could also be restricted, Davis said. “If you’re a publicly identified Proud Boys member and that (group) becomes a terrorist organization in Canada, that could very easily impact your ability to travel across borders, get on airplanes,” she said.

Many countries around the world use the terrorist group designations and other information to pre-screen travellers. “They don’t really need a lot of grounds to deny entry,” Davis said.

Asked if it’s possible that members of groups newly listed as terrorist entities could be the subject of increased surveillance, Davis said it was not likely. “If CSIS believes an individual who’s associated with the Proud Boys could pose a threat to the security of Canada, they do not need the (terrorist) listing to investigate that,” she said.

In fact, it could complicate some investigations because of the likelihood that a terrorist designation would drive the group’s activities further underground, she added.

Kayla Preston, a University of Toronto PhD student in sociology, agrees. “There might be a lot more fear among members of the Proud Boys to publicly announce themselves as members,” if they become listed, she said.