(ETH) – After being banned from social media platforms, the US government is warning that extremists groups could be turning to radio equipment as an alternative to plan and coordinate future criminal activities.
According to a new report from CNN Business, the Federal Communications Commission’s enforcement bureau stressed that individuals who are coordinating or conducting criminal activity over radio waves are breaking the law.
“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 its warning Sunday.
“Individuals using radios in the Amateur or Personal Radio Services in this manner may be subject to severe penalties, including significant fines, seizure of the offending equipment, and, in some cases, criminal prosecution.” Although the FCC grants capability of signals for people to broadcast over radio waves.
These messages are generally protected by the US Constitution’s First Amendment. However, the FCC is reminding radio licensees and operators that it is prohibited to transmit “communications intended to facilitate a criminal act.” People are also not allowed to encode their messages to obscure their meaning from law enforcement.
These laws apply to those broadcasting with personal ham radios, which can reach long distances. But they also apply to people using Citizens Band (CB) radios commonly used for communication between truckers — or even walkie-talkies. The recent concerns stem from the social media purge from big tech companies that recently banned the president of the United States along with the removal of alternative social media giant Parler as well.
