In a groundbreaking investigation, four individuals have been identified as operators of prominent neo-Nazi accounts on X (formerly Twitter), which collectively amassed around 500,000 followers.
The investigation, which analyzed posts, web archives, and leaked databases, unmasked several professionals maintaining anonymous extremist accounts:
Cyan Cruz, 40, a marketing professional with ties to Austin and Amarillo, was identified as running TheOfficial1984 account. Michael Gramer, 42, a retired mechanical engineer from New Hampshire who claims connections to Texas, operated the 9mm_SMG account.
Robert "Bobby" Thorne, 35, a vice president at JP Morgan Chase in Plano, was found to be behind Noble1945 and previously Noble_x_x_. John Anthony Provenzano, 30, a Naval Surface Warfare Center employee in Maryland, managed the utism_ account (previously JohnnyBullzeye).
These accounts represent part of a growing far-right presence on X under Elon Musk's ownership. Platform data shows a stark decline in content moderation - from 1 million moderated accounts in 2021 to just 2,361 accounts in early 2024.
The revelations come amid mounting concerns about X becoming what some observers describe as a hub for white supremacist content. The dramatic reduction in content moderation appears to have created conditions where such accounts can flourish and expand their reach.
This investigation highlights how individuals in professional positions maintain anonymous online personas to spread extremist content, raising questions about the platform's role in enabling such activity.