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Trending: How 'state-sponsored trolling' works

Factual

How 'State-Sponsored Trolling' Works

16/11/2019 GMT

How 'state-sponsored trolling' works

BBC World Service - Trending, How 'state-sponsored trolling' works

More governments around the world are “trolling” – what are they doing, and why?

Government-backed harassment campaigns are a way for authorities to silence critics. We meet those who have been targeted and the researchers trying to combat the trolls.

When Azerbaijani journalist Arzu Geybulla started to receive abusive messages online, she quickly became suspicious. She had received offensive messages before. But this time was different. She was being flooded with them. So she decided to dig further.
 
Her investigation brought her into the murky world of state-sponsored trolling. Around the world, more governments are getting involved in harassment campaigns against journalists, activists and citizens. According to the Oxford Internet Institute, 47 countries conducted state-sponsored trolling campaigns in 2019. That’s up from 27 the year before.
 
Governments are using trolls and campaigns of abuse to silence critics, to sow discord and hold onto power. We meet the targets of government trolling campaigns and the researchers trying to combat them. What can we do about state-sponsored trolling?
 
Presenter: Mike Wendling
Reporter: Ant Adeane
 
(Photo: Person in the shadows on a computer. Credit: Getty Images)

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