The issue focused on the "new-found threat" of online hate crime. The Justice Department also said that "online platforms like Facebook have become places where hate can thrive and flourish in ways we cannot measure with any precision."

In recent years, the Justice Department has made clear its intention to pursue hate crimes prosecutions against hate crime perpetrators who receive public funds. The Department also recently announced that it plans to pursue federal charges against a Texas man who allegedly targeted transgender women and then used Facebook to harass law enforcement.