Web Brigades

Web brigades are covert organizations, sometimes comprising hundreds of employees, paid to spread false information on the Internet. This includes operating a network of deceptively genuine-looking news websites. Often reported to be centrally coordinated from countries like Russia or China, these web brigades swarm out to flood social media platforms and online media with posts and comments that all follow the same script: they mock, insult, and incite. The narrative is set to support the government’s policies, while its opponents are ‘exposed’ with fabricated stories and false accusations.

As social media becomes increasingly important in forming political opinions, such troll activities are believed to distort democratic decision-making processes. Entire elections have been influenced in this way.