Since progressive campaign platform DeGoedeZaak was set up in 2017, Director Jurjen van den Bergh has experienced a stream of online hate and intimidation. "At one time, I was sitting at home with my newborn baby, while trolls were busy trying to discover where I lived and where my staff lived. I felt persecuted, but I also knew that what I was experiencing was nothing compared with what was faced by the social change leaders we supported."
DeGoedeZaak helps Dutch progressives run campaigns – for causes such as a higher minimum wage, inclusive ways of celebrating St Nicholas, and access to contraception. "Most people in the Netherlands who work to bring about social change recognise that they're going to come across people who take a different view," says Van den Bergh. "In some cases, though, online aggression is so fierce that campaigners worry about their personal safety and even consider pausing or abandoning their activities." DeGoedeZaak tries to support social change leaders who are targeted by online hate campaigns. To that end, the organisation wants to find out exactly how trolls operate and develop a set of resources dubbed the 'anti-trolling toolkit'.
Coordinated campaigns
Ibtissam Abaâziz was commissioned by DeGoedeZaak to study trolls' strategies. Abaâziz is a researcher and founder of Report Islamophobia, as well as being an activist in her own right. Her research began with a brainstorming session with eight social change leaders active in fields such as climate, LGBTQI+, anti-racism and feminism. That was followed by nine one-to-one, in-depth interviews, some with the same activists, plus a literature study. To protect the anonymity of the participants, the research hasn't been published.
"The most striking finding of the research was that trolling campaigns are organised activities," says Abaâziz. "They aren't harmless or isolated; they're coordinated." One pointer to coordination is the proactive way trolls behave, retweeting each other, sharing misinformation about social change leaders and tagging them in discussions. There are also websites where lists of activists are published, casting them in a negative light. "It looks as if they're using Google Alerts," says Abaâziz. "As soon as a social change leader features in the news, all the trolls dive in." The worst attacks are often directed at people who campaign against racism.
Online and offline intimidation
According to Abaâziz, the trigger for a troll attack is often a story in the traditional media featuring a social change leader. The attacks themselves involve a variety of strategies. By way of example, Abaâziz mentions "swamping the activists with negative comments, creating cruel memes, spreading untrue information, making online threats, attempting to hack accounts, sharing address details, and hinting about where the activist lives". Significantly, trolls don't confine themselves to the internet. "They'll harass the influencer's family or employer, or threaten physical violence: 'If you go to that demonstration, I'll be waiting for you.' Instead of presenting arguments, they resort to intimidation."
Taken together, the tactics have serious psychological impact, Abaâziz explains. "Trolling induces stress and a sense of insecurity. One of the people I interviewed even suffered panic attacks." In some cases, trolling can cause reputational damage as well. "If someone googles you, and finds a lot of negative stories and comments, you may miss out on a job you've applied for." Some of the study's interviewees reported that the fear of trolling led them to censor themselves, or speak out less often than they would like. Others closed their social media accounts or temporarily stepped away. "But people respond in different ways. Some activists become more combative in response to trolling," adds Abaâziz.
From both the brainstorming session and the interviews, it's clear that social change leaders need support when they're targeted by trolls. Short-term and long-term assistance may be required, says Abaâziz. In the short term, an activist may benefit from information about the various types of troll they are liable to encounter, and tips on how to respond. Legal advice and guidance on privacy protection, account security, systematic reclaiming of comment sections and organising support networks can be helpful as well. In the long term, Abaâziz believes that action is needed on structural issues, such as dismantling troll networks and legislating to oblige platforms to act.
Abaâziz's research findings form the basis for strategies for supporting social change leaders during attacks. "As well as activists, we want to get journalists and politicians involved," says Van den Bergh. "It's important that they recognise how serious the problem is and take responsibility for clamping down on trolling." The anti-trolling toolkit https://eerstehulpbijonlinehaat.nl was launched on February 11. A roadmap with tips, tricks and stories to better arm yourself against online hatred.
