USA TODAY International Edition
FCC warns extremists plan attacks using radio
Violators would face fines, criminal charges
Leading up to President- elect Joe Biden's inauguration, the Federal Communications Commission reminded personal and amateur radio operators that the use of radios to commit or facilitate criminal acts is prohibited.
"The Bureau has become aware of discussions on social media platforms suggesting that certain radio services regulated by the Commission may be an alternative to social media platforms for groups to communicate and coordinate future activities," the FCC said in a statement Sunday.
The reminder is directed to licensees and operators in the Personal Radio Services, as well as the Amateur Radio Service. These services are prohibited from transmitting “communi
cations intended to facilitate a criminal act” or “messages encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning," according to the commission.
Individuals who violate the measures are subject to fines and seizure of the equipment, as well as criminal prosecution, the FCC said.
Personal Radio Services include Citizens Band radios, Family Radio Service walkie- talkies and General Mobile Radio Service.
On Jan. 9, Amazon Web Services suspended the social media platform Parler, citing posts that "encourage and incite violence." Parler CEO John Matze said the platform could be back in late January.
Podcasts provide a loophole for extremists propagating QAnon conspiracy theories and false claims of a stolen presidential election, including on platforms such as Google and Spotify.
Social media giants have taken measures to impede users from facilitating acts of violence on their platforms. Facebook announced it would ban ads that promote weapon accessories and protective equipment in the USA before Inauguration Day. Twitter cracked down on accounts linked to QAnon, removing more than 70,000.