NEW: Docs we obtained show how @FBI equates protected online speech to violence.
According to @FBI using the terms “based” or “red pilled” are signs of "Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism" pic.twitter.com/JSQiCoiKdT
— Oversight Project (@OversightPR) April 3, 2023
The FBI uses a “glossary of terms” to look for online that could indicate someone is involved with “violent extremism.
According to the FBI glossary, “based” means “someone who has been converted to racist ideology.”
“Red pill” or being “redpilled” means someone is accepting racist, antisemitic or fascist beliefs, according to the FBI.
I’ve never heard those definitions. I’ve heard “based” used in tech culture to admire, sometimes ironically, someone’s authenticity and boldness.
Let’s run it by ChatGPT:
The word “based” is often used to indicate that something has a foundation, source, or origin in something else. It means that a particular thing, person, or concept is rooted or founded in something else, or that it has a particular relationship to something else.
For example, if we say that a company is based in New York, it means that the company’s headquarters or main operations are located in New York. Similarly, if we say that a book is based on a true story, it means that the book is inspired by a real-life event or person.
In general, “based” is used to express a connection, reliance, or dependency on something else.
Not really close to the FBI definition.
I’ve heard “redpilled” used a lot of different ways, but mostly in a Matrix type of context.
Here’s ChatGPT again:
“Redpilled” is a term that originated from the 1999 movie “The Matrix,” in which the main character, Neo, is offered a choice between taking a blue pill, which would allow him to continue living in a simulated reality, or a red pill, which would awaken him to the truth about the world around him.
In contemporary culture, “redpilled” is used to describe a person who has become aware of or enlightened to certain truths, usually related to politics, society, or culture. It is often associated with an attitude of skepticism towards mainstream or commonly accepted beliefs, and a willingness to challenge the status quo.
The term is often used within certain online communities, particularly those associated with the political far-right or conspiracy theories, but it has also been used more broadly to describe people who have undergone a personal transformation or change in their worldview.
Taken all together, the evidence seems to indicate that “redpilled” is pretty benign unless you’re hanging out in online conspiracy theory communities, which probably indicates more about you than your use or non-use of certain FBI no-no words.