An anti-racism group says the phenomenon of social networking online is proving a boon for extremists and race-hate groups.

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre says the internet is the prime tool for spreading hate, and social networking is allowing groups to do it quicker and more effectively.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper has run the centre's digital terrorism and hate project for more than a decade.

In 1995 it noted the emergence of the internet's first race-hate website.

Rabbi Cooper has just presented the project's latest findings in New York.

He says sites like Facebook and MySpace are also open to people whose intentions could be considered anti-social.

"The sophisticated racist and bigot, and terrorist, looks at these fantastic new technologies and they're right there using them and employing them in pursuit of finding recruits and supports for their cause," he said.