>>> ON FRIDAY, TWITTER
PERMANENTLY BANNED PRESIDENT
TRUMP, CITING THE RISK OF HIS
FURTHER INCITEMENT TO VIOLENCE
AFTER THE ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL,
DENYING HIM THE SOCIAL MEDIA
MEGAPHONE HE WIELDED THROUGHOUT
HIS PRESIDENCY.
FOR MANY THE MOVE IS TOO LITTLE
TOO LATE.
FOR YEARS, THOSE PLATFORMS HAVE
BEEN GATHERING PLACES FOR
EXTREMIST GROUPS WHOSE IDEAS
OFTEN ARE AMPLIFIED BY THE
PRESIDENT.
EXPERTS AND REPORTERS WHO
WATCHED THE SITES CLOSELY WERE
NOT SURPRISED BY WHAT THEY SAW
AT THE CAPITOL BUILDING THIS
WEEK.
IN OUR SUNDAY FOCUS, JO LING
KENT FOLLOWS THE ONLINE TRAIL TO
JANUARY 6th.
>> Reporter: WHILE IMAGES OF THE
VIOLENT ATTACKS ON CAPITOL HILL
STUNNED THE NATION THIS WEEK,
MANY SAY THE SIGNS WERE THERE
ALL ALONG.
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT ONLINE.
>> PEOPLE JOKE AROUND A LOT ON
THE INTERNET.
BUT PEOPLE SAY WHAT THEY MEAN ON
THE INTERNET.
>> Reporter: THESE TWO COVER
DISINFORMATION, EXTREMISM AND
THE INTERNET FOR NBC NEWS.
THERE WAS NOTHING SURPRISED TO
THEM ABOUT JANUARY 6th.
WHY DO PEOPLE SAY THEY DIDN'T
SEE THIS COMING?
BECAUSE IT WAS PLAINLY OUT
THERE.
>> I HAVE BEEN WONDERING THAT
ALL WEEK.
THESE PEOPLE COORDINATED ON OPEN
PARTS OF THE INTERNET.
THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT STORMING
THE CAPITOL.
>> WE SAW EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE
SAW AT THE CAPITOL HAPPENING ALL
THROUGHOUT 2020 AT STATEHOUSES,
AT LOCAL BLACK LIVES MATTER
PROTESTS WHERE ARMED MEN WOULD
INTIMIDATE LOCAL ACTIVISTS.
WE SAW THIS HAPPENING OVER AND
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SOMEHOW THE FBI, THE DOJ, THE
CAPITOL POLICE JUST DIDN'T LEARN
A THING.
>> Reporter: HOW FAR BACK DOES
THIS GO BACK?
>> FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
BUT QANON STARTED IN OCTOBER OF
2017.
>> Reporter: THE FAR RIGHT
EXTREMIST GROUP ORGANIZED A FEW
MONTHS AFTER THE DEADLY VIOLENCE
IN CHARLOTTESVILLE.
>> YOU ALSO HAD PEOPLE THAT WERE
VERY FINE PEOPLE, ON BOTH SIDES.
>> SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE MILITIA
MOMEN
MOVEMENT BUILT UP.
THE PROUD BOYS SAY WE HAVE
DISAGREEMENTS, BUT WE NEED AS
MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
THEY STARTED RECRUITING IN THE
QANON SPACES.
THEY CAME TOGETHER FOR A COMMON
CAUSE.
THE GOAL IS TO PROTECT DONALD
TRUMP.
>> Reporter: WHAT STARTED ONLINE
CAME TO LIFE OFFLINE.
>> WHEN THEY GIVE DIRECTIONS TO
A SPECIFIC PLACE TO GO CARRY OUT
ARMED INSURRECTION, THE
PRESIDENT SHOULDN'T GIVE THEM
THE MARCHING ORDERS.
>> YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR PEOPLE
TO FIGHT.
>> Reporter: EXTREMISTS
EMBOLDENED BY VIDEOS AND POSTS
BY THE PRESIDENT.
TWITTER AND FACEBOOK HAVE
LABELED OR RESTRICTED CERTAIN
TRUMP POSTS WITH FALSE
INFORMATION ON VOTING, COVID-19
AND GLORIFYING VIOLENCE IN THE
AFTERMATH OF GEORGE FLOYD'S
DEATH.
IT WASN'T ENOUGH TO STOP THE
VIOLENCE.
PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER
>> WE ARE ALL ABLE TO FALL FOR
THESE LIES, ESPECIALLY IF THEY
COME FROM SOMEONE WE TRUST, LIKE
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
IT SEEPED INTO THE BRAINS OF SO
MANY AMERICANS.
THAT'S THE DANGEROUS PLACE THAT
WE ARE AT NOW.
>> Reporter: PLANS FOR MORE
ATTACKS LIKE JANUARY 17th ON THE
CAPITOL ARE CIRCULATING WIDELY
ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
>> THEY ARE PLANNING SOMETHING
AROUND THE INAUGURATION USING
FLYERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO
BASICALLY MADE THIS A BLOODIER
DAY IN THE FUTURE.
THAT'S THE THING THAT NEEDS TO
BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
>> JO JOINS ME LIVE.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
WHEN THE PRESIDENT WAS TAKEN OFF
OF TWITTER FRIDAY, HIS
SUPPORTERS CRIED SYIED CENSORSH.
WHERE ELSE NOW WILL SUPPORTERS
OF PRESIDENT TRUMP -- WHERE WILL
EXTREMIST GROUPS GO TO ASSEMBLE?
>> GOOD MORNING.
ON TWITTER LOST NEARLY 90
MILLION FOLLOWERS.
THIS COULD CHANGE HIM TO USE
TRADITIONAL METHODS OF
COMMUNICATING MORE OFTEN, LIKE
PRESS CONFERENCES TO GET HIS
THOUGHTS OUT THERE, NOT TO
MENTION EVERY MINOR OR MAJOR
COMMENT ON TWITTER WILL NO
LONGER BE COVERED OR RETWEETED,
RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS
RELEVANCE IN THE PUBLIC
CONVERSATION IN THE FINAL DAYS.
HE AND HIS SUPPORTERS HAVE SAID
THEY WILL MIGRATE ELSEWHERE.
SOME OF THE OPTIONS, LIKE
PARLER, ARE DWINDLING.
APPLE AND GOOGLE BAN THE APP
FROM THEIR PLATFORMS, SAYING
THEY HAVE ALLOWED FOR BAD
BEHAVIOR.
>> ALL OF THIS IS SO