Written by Karen Lee.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old suspected of attempting to harm presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, was reportedly associated with a Discord account—a popular chat app used by federal agencies, intelligence contractors, and various others, including gamers. According to the Associated Press, Crooks had an account on Discord, although he had been inactive for several months prior to the incident. A spokesperson from Discord informed the AP that there is no evidence suggesting Crooks used his account to advocate violence or discuss political views.

Discord has stated its cooperation with the FBI’s investigation.

Discord’s Role in Mass Shootings

Discord has a history of being linked to incidents of violence and terrorism. One of the most notable cases involves the 2022 Buffalo massacre, where perpetrator Payton Gendron had been active on Discord leading up to the tragic event. Shockingly, Gendron had been communicating with a “retired federal agent” on Discord just moments before the shooting that claimed 10 lives at a Buffalo supermarket.

Last April, the FBI denied Headline USA’s request for records regarding the retired federal agent’s connections with Gendron, citing an ongoing investigation. More recently, another tragic incident involved Dylan Butler, who reportedly shot and killed a sixth-grade student, injured four others, and then took his own life at an Iowa school in January. Reports indicated Butler was a member of a Discord chat group named “School Massacres Discussion,” focused on discussing school shootings. NBC reported that months before the attack, another Discord user had alerted the FBI about the chatroom.

NBC stated, “The Discord user reported flagging the chatroom to the FBI in November, prompting an FBI agent to request further details via email.” The user provided screenshots of the server but did not mention the user “took2much.” The chatroom was closed down before the shooting occurred. In addition to mass shootings, Discord has gained notoriety for hosting chatrooms that promote controversial topics such as Satanism, pedophilia, and terrorism. The group known as Satanic cult 764 operates across multiple Discord channels.

Discord and Government Surveillance on Gamers

Discord gained widespread attention in April 2023 when it was revealed that a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard allegedly leaked highly sensitive Pentagon documents via the platform. Since then, the Biden administration has been advocating for enhanced monitoring of gamer activities on Discord and similar platforms.

NBC News reported in April 2023 that the Biden White House is considering broadening the range of online sites under surveillance by intelligence agencies and law enforcement. Around the same time last year, investigative journalist Lee Fang reported on U.S. government collaboration with private intelligence firms to monitor gaming chatrooms. An official from the Israeli threat intelligence firm CyberInt was quoted by Fang, stating, “I prefer to detect threat actors when they’re young or starting out at 14 or 15. That’s when I start observing and documenting their malicious activities because they tend to be more careless and open, showing off more.”

The latest update on government surveillance of gamers came in February, with the Government Accountability Office reporting that the FBI had intensified efforts in the previous year to infiltrate gaming servers. According to the GAO report, “In 2023, FBI officials increased engagement with gaming companies and related entities during their annual meeting and outreach activities.”

The same GAO report made the implausible claim that the January 6, 2021 Capitol Hill incident was planned through gaming platforms, although the Justice Department has not provided evidence to support this assertion. “For example, according to a National Fusion Center Association official, social media users planning the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol used coded language for weapons to discuss plans covertly,” the report stated, lacking substantiating evidence.

Despite the Biden administration’s justification for increased monitoring of gaming chatrooms in the name of public safety, previous cases have shown that individuals affiliated with FBI contractors have committed offenses on Discord. This was highlighted in August when the Department of Justice filed child pornography charges against a former FBI contractor, Brett Janes, 26, from Virginia. The DOJ revealed that Janes had engaged with approximately twelve underage boys via Discord and Snapchat. According to an FBI affidavit, Janes’ activities came to light when one victim’s father contacted local police, who then alerted the FBI around April 2023. A month later, the FBI confirmed Janes’ role as a contractor within a bureau headquarters unit.

Despite the government’s stated objectives, privacy advocates have expressed concerns about the implications of increased surveillance on gamers. Sean Vitka, senior policy counsel at Demand Progress, cautioned against the outsourcing of surveillance activities to private entities: “There is a troubling trend of government agencies contracting out surveillance to entities like data brokers, circumventing legal constraints on direct government surveillance,” he warned. “It is increasingly clear that a parallel industry of privatized surveillance is targeting private chat rooms,” Vitka added.

Our Take

The unrestricted monitoring of platforms like Discord by government agencies raises significant privacy and civil liberties concerns. While the aim might be to enhance national security, the potential for abuse and the infringement on individual privacy rights is alarming. The focus should be on balanced approaches that ensure security without compromising fundamental freedoms.

Here’s a marketing video from CyberInt, a threat intel firm based in Israel w/ global clients.

“I prefer to detect threat actors when they are young or starting out at 14 or 15. That’s when I start observing and documenting their malicious activities.” pic.twitter.com/fSyUHBYqGm

— Lee Fang (@lhfang) May 10, 2023