The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has embarked on a significant initiative, allocating grants amounting to $20 million to 34 diverse organizations, all tasked with the mission to pinpoint potentially extremist online conversations among Americans.

These funds stem from the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) grant program allocated for the 2023 fiscal year. A myriad of institutions, ranging from universities, churches, and school districts to police and mental health providers, are among the grant beneficiaries, Summit News reported.

This federal initiative, operated under the DHS's Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) and, intriguingly, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), champions the aim of buttressing local communities in their efforts to counteract “targeted violence and terrorism.”

Grant recipients will play a role in cultivating community-centric preventive measures, including developing a blueprint to “identify prevention best practices that can be replicated in communities nationwide.”

Highlighting the imperative nature of this initiative, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas referenced the racially-driven Jacksonville shooting. Mayorkas emphasized the universality of such threats, stating that “[it] made painfully clear, targeted violence and terrorism can impact any community, anywhere.”

However, this initiative has not been without its critiques. Some perceive this renewed definition of terrorist threat as an endeavor to curb dissension against prevailing narratives endorsed by the government and influential media conglomerates.

Detractors suggest that expressing contrarian views on issues like Covid-19, vaccines, gun control, gender policies, the ongoing conflict in Europe, or immigration could potentially label an individual as an extremist or a domestic terrorist.