In order to better understand how hate movements throughout the United States use financial platforms to finance criminal activity, the ADL and PayPal have launched a new partnership to uncover the “financial pipelines” used by extremist groups.
The research will be shared with the financial industry, policymakers and law enforcement.
"By identifying partners across sectors with common goals and complementary resources, we can make an even greater impact than any of us could do on our own," said Aaron Karczmer, Paypal’s Chief Risk Officer. "We are excited to partner with the ADL, other non-profits and law enforcement in our fight against hate in all its forms."
Led by ADL’s Center of Extremism, the project will focus on “uncovering and disrupting the financial pipelines that support extremist and hate movements” as well as networks profiting from the spread of hate and bigotry.
"All of us, including in the private sector, have a critical role to play in fighting the spread of extremism and hate. With this new initiative, we're setting a new standard for companies to bring their expertise to critical social issues," said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. "We have a unique opportunity to further understand how hate spreads and develop key insights that will inform the efforts of the financial industry, law enforcement, and our communities in mitigating extremist threats."
The initiative will also establish a coalition with other civil rights partner organizations, such as the League of United Latin American Citizens, in order to “share trends in extremism and hate” with a goal of “helping to empower and safeguard those communities which are frequently targets of hate groups and extremist acts.”
"I applaud PayPal and the ADL for joining forces to combat hate and extremist movements who seek to utilize financial platforms to bankroll their criminal activities and profit from the spread of racism and bigotry," said Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, Jr. "My office stands ready to assist financial institutions and businesses of all kinds in this urgent fight to stop hate and protect members of historically marginalized communities."