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WASHINGTON — Several federal and state agencies are investigating the recent racist mass text messages sent to Black people across the United States following the presidential election this week.
The messages, invoking slavery, were directed at Black men, women, and children, prompting inquiries by the FBI, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and other law enforcement departments.
The racist texts were reported in several states, including New York, Alabama, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Tennessee.
The FBI confirmed it has communicated with the Justice Department about the messages, while the FCC has stated it is investigating the incident along with other law enforcement agencies.
“These messages are unacceptable,” said FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, emphasizing the agency’s serious stance on such targeted harassment.
The anonymous texts, which varied slightly in their wording, instructed recipients to “board a bus” to be transported to a “plantation” to work as slaves.
The messages were particularly distressing, as they were sent to school-aged children and college students. The use of technology to intimidate young Black people has caused significant concern among parents and educators.
In response to the disturbing texts, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill stated that the sender had used a VPN to obscure their location.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown also reported receiving numerous complaints, including from children who had been personally named in the messages. Brown described the targeting of children in this manner as “a disturbing, threatening use of technology.”
Phone service provider TextNow confirmed that “one or more of our accounts” had been used to send the messages and promptly disabled those accounts for violating its terms of service.
Other major telecom companies, including AT&T and Verizon, have referred the issue to the CTIA, a wireless communications trade group, as part of an industry-wide effort to stop such attacks.
Nick Ludlum, a spokesperson for the CTIA, indicated that the industry is working with law enforcement to block the texts and trace the platforms used to send them.
The racist messages, which have spanned the entire country, have predominately targeted Black Americans, including children as young as middle school students. — Agencies
