Social media companies could soon be forced to end anonymity for online trolls. But will this stop the trolling?
3 years, 3 months ago

Social media companies could soon be forced to end anonymity for online trolls. But will this stop the trolling?

ABC  

The federal government plans to crack down on "bots and bigots and trolls" by introducing legislation to parliament that will require social media companies to collect the details of all users. Blaming online anonymity for aggressive behaviour is "a really fundamental misunderstanding of the dynamics of these systems," Dr van der Nagel said. In 2018, the Queensland government engaged Dr van der Nagel to compile a research paper on the efficacy of requiring social media companies to implement identity verification. In her subsequent paper, Dr van der Nagel referred to a 2016 German laboratory experiment testing the effect of two variables, social norms and anonymity, on the online behaviour of 62 participants. "The way people join these spaces, they come in and the first thing they do is listen," Dr van der Nagel said.

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History of this topic

Searching for the Next Social Media Fix for the Next Trump Era
4 months, 1 week ago

Searching for the Next Social Media Fix for the Next Trump Era

Wired  

The morning of November 5, hours before I was confronted with the sick realization that the world was again about to get exponentially harder for me and the people I love, I received an email from Kunal Lunawat, CEO and cofounder of Wildr, an app he described to me as a “troll-free, text-only” social media platform. They toss out words …

Regulating the spread of mis/disinformation online is not an attack on freedom of speech
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Regulating the spread of mis/disinformation online is not an attack on freedom of speech

ABC  

Freedom of speech does not exist in Australia — at least not in the way Americans refer to it, the way it’s been popularised on social media. The Communications Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 looks to grant the Australian Communications and Media Authority powers to hold social media platforms to account, compelling them to disclose their policies and plans to combat …

Stop this tamasha: Celebs tell trolls of Deepika Padukone's baby bump spotting
10 months ago

Stop this tamasha: Celebs tell trolls of Deepika Padukone's baby bump spotting

Hindustan Times  

‘Her baby bump is fake’ ‘Pregnant women don’t walk like that, is she even pregnant’- this is just a sample of what social media's hard-hearted comments looked like, after Deepika Padukone stepped out on May 20 to vote. Actor Ranveer Singh with wife, actor Deepika Padukone stepped out to vote recently in Mumbai, and her baby bump was seen for …

Anonymous users dominate right-wing discussions online and spread false information
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Anonymous users dominate right-wing discussions online and spread false information

LA Times  

The X logo is shown on a computer screen in Belgrade, Serbia. The reposts and expressions of shock from public figures followed quickly after a user on the social platform X who uses a pseudonym falsely claimed that a government website had revealed “skyrocketing” rates of voters registering without a photo ID in three states this year — two of …

How internet anonymity allows toxic trolls to express their 'true' psychopathic tendencies
1 year, 1 month ago

How internet anonymity allows toxic trolls to express their 'true' psychopathic tendencies

ABC  

In short: Psychologists have found that internet trolls are more likely to have latent psychopathic and sadistic traits. A study has found many keyboard warriors feel they can express their "true selves" when shrouded by anonymity. Lead author Lewis Nitschinsk, a research officer at the university's School of Psychology, studied more than 1,300 internet users across the world to see …

Nikki Haley walks back her demand that social media ban anonymous posters after facing GOP backlash
1 year, 4 months ago

Nikki Haley walks back her demand that social media ban anonymous posters after facing GOP backlash

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Nikki Haley on Wednesday partially walked back her proposed requirement that social media companies ban people from posting anonymously online for national security reasons, a stance for which she drew backlash across conservative social media and some of her GOP presidential rivals. “When you do that, all of a sudden people have to stand by what they …

China is intimidating women journalists and researchers online to silence and discredit them, report says
2 years, 2 months ago

China is intimidating women journalists and researchers online to silence and discredit them, report says

Op India  

China has been intimidating women journalists and researchers online to silence them and discredit their critical coverage of China, according to think tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute. The harassment “illustrates how online attacks can be used by authoritarian governments beyond borders to intimidate and silence journalists,” Nadine Hoffman, deputy director of the Washington-based International Women’s Media Foundation, wrote in an …

Time to stop online violence hurting people in real world
2 years, 9 months ago

Time to stop online violence hurting people in real world

China Daily  

A video screen capture from Sina Weibo shows several men beat up female customers in a restaurant in Tangshan, North China's Hebei province on Friday. While many internet users raise pertinent issues through social media platforms and rightly criticize people and organizations for failing to fulfill their due responsibilities, there are some who vent their frustration and anger on others …

Government's eSafety Commissioner says anti-trolling laws could confuse people
3 years ago

Government's eSafety Commissioner says anti-trolling laws could confuse people

ABC  

A federal government push to unmask vicious online trolls is at risk of creating confusion that could counteract its effectiveness in tackling abuse, the nation's online safety commissioner has warned. Key points: eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant says the name of the proposed law is misleading She argued the actual legislation deals more with defamation law than online abuse The …

Social media anti-trolling laws offer little protection to ordinary users, lawyers say
3 years, 3 months ago

Social media anti-trolling laws offer little protection to ordinary users, lawyers say

ABC  

Legal experts have warned the federal government's attempt to tackle abuse and trolling online might not offer much protection to ordinary social media users. Key points: Prime Minister Scott Morrison previously voiced anger at "horrific abuse and harassment and stalking online" But some media law specialists warned the specific powers of the bill might not go far in reducing the …

Australia proposes defamation laws to identify online trolls and hold them accountable
3 years, 3 months ago

Australia proposes defamation laws to identify online trolls and hold them accountable

India Today  

Internet trolls may be facing trouble in Australia, the country plans to introduce a law that will require social media companies to "unmask anonymous trolls," allowing users to file defamation lawsuits. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced his government would introduce legislation this week requiring social media companies to collect personal details, likely phone numbers, email addresses and contact names, …

Social media firms will be forced by law to stamp out abuse by anonymous online trolls
3 years, 5 months ago

Social media firms will be forced by law to stamp out abuse by anonymous online trolls

Daily Mail  

Social media firms will be forced by law to stamp out abuse by anonymous online trolls, the Culture Secretary vows today. Nadine Dorries wants to toughen legislation so web giants have a duty to protect users from hate spewed by those hiding their identity ‘If it’s racist, if it’s misogynistic, if it’s anti-Semitic – if it’s any kind of toxic …

Internet trolls are just as mean in real life, claims new study
3 years, 6 months ago

Internet trolls are just as mean in real life, claims new study

Daily Mail  

Internet bullies are just as mean in real life, according to a new study. It also found that people who are nice may choose to avoid all political discussions online - whether the forums are hostile or not, according to the study published in the American Political Science Review. Internet trolls are mean just as often online as they are …

Alexander-Arnold interview: ‘A lot of people offer opinions. I listen to the select few that matter’
3 years, 10 months ago

Alexander-Arnold interview: ‘A lot of people offer opinions. I listen to the select few that matter’

New York Times  

Trent Alexander-Arnold hasn’t been able to avoid the noise. The 20-strong Hope United ‘squad’ will be managed by Rio Ferdinand and Karen Carney, and coached by Eni Aluko and Robbie Savage “When BT told me about the scheme and what it intends to do, it was a no-brainer for me really,” Alexander-Arnold says. It shouldn’t be something that you just …

Sonam Kapoor suggests measures to tackle anonymous trolls after Chrissy Teigen quits Twitter citing negativity
4 years ago

Sonam Kapoor suggests measures to tackle anonymous trolls after Chrissy Teigen quits Twitter citing negativity

Hindustan Times  

Actor Sonam Kapoor wondered if Twitter has ‘become too toxic’ after model and television personality Chrissy Teigen announced her decision to quit the platform on Wednesday night, citing negativity. Sonam suggested that ID proofs be made mandatory while creating social media accounts to combat the menace of anonymous trolling. You should need an ID proof.” Moments before going off Twitter, …

Cyborgs, trolls and bots: A guide to online misinformation
5 years, 1 month ago

Cyborgs, trolls and bots: A guide to online misinformation

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Cyborgs, trolls and bots can fill the internet with lies and half-truths. “You can get a lot from a bot, but maybe it’s not the best quality,” said Emilio Ferrara, a data science researcher at the University of Southern California who co-wrote the study on Twitter bots. “We have 12 ways that we spot a bot, and …

Opinion | Do not let online trolls menace our public life
5 years, 2 months ago

Opinion | Do not let online trolls menace our public life

Live Mint  

Every seventh tweet directed at a woman politician in the country is either “problematic” or “abusive”, a study by Amnesty International India has found. The human rights advocacy group’s report, titled Troll Patrol India: Exposing Online Abuse Faced by Women Politicians in India, also found every fifth such message to be misogynistic. Regressive elements of the Indian patriarchy have always …

Don't feed the Troll: Sadiq Khan, Gary Lineker and Rachel Riley pledged not to publicise abuse they receive online
5 years, 6 months ago

Don't feed the Troll: Sadiq Khan, Gary Lineker and Rachel Riley pledged not to publicise abuse they receive online

The Independent  

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about …

Internet trolls are not who I thought — they're even scarier
6 years, 1 month ago

Internet trolls are not who I thought — they're even scarier

ABC  

In 2017, I wrote a major investigation into predator trolling that went viral. Meepsheep, president of a notorious trolling syndicate, said presidents are elected "maybe once every two years" and this happens live on air via the ICR call-in podcast, L0de Radio Hour. Myth 2: Trolls are uneducated losers One of the things we take comfort in is the idea …

Online trolls who torment election candidates could be banned from public office under abuse crackdown
6 years, 7 months ago

Online trolls who torment election candidates could be banned from public office under abuse crackdown

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Online trolls who torment election candidates could be banned from public …

Behave responsibly on social media
6 years, 8 months ago

Behave responsibly on social media

Hindustan Times  

“The government can’t make people love me, but it can keep them from lynching me.” While vacationing in Europe’s verdant valleys, one of my friends was reminded of these words by Martin Luther King Junior. A woman mourns the death of her family members killed in a mob attack on Sunday on suspicion of being part of a child-kidnapping gang …

Beware of the deceptive world of social media
6 years, 8 months ago

Beware of the deceptive world of social media

Live Mint  

“The government can’t make people love me, but it can keep them from lynching me.” While vacationing in Europe’s verdant valleys, one of my friends was reminded of these words by Martin Luther King, Jr. Time and again he was asked in a veiled manner whether Indians were a nation of rapists and blood-thirsty people. Law and justice minister Ravi …

Web of Patriarchy
6 years, 8 months ago

Web of Patriarchy

Deccan Chronicle  

It’s always pleasing to see people liking your social media updates and making nice comments, but when these followers become nasty and behave irresponsibly, that’s when you realise the catastrophe of being on social media platforms. Author Kiran Manral also believes that women’s bodies are an easy target for demeaning them and women have always been a proxy of men. …

Why good people turn bad online – and how to defeat your inner troll
6 years, 11 months ago

Why good people turn bad online – and how to defeat your inner troll

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “The way they behave even …

Troll factories, bots and fake news: Inside the Wild West of social media
7 years, 1 month ago

Troll factories, bots and fake news: Inside the Wild West of social media

Al Jazeera  

An in-depth look at the use of the internet to wage information warfare and the challenges to democracy posed by social media. You have the bots seeding and fertilising conversation around this group, and the group becomes real, people really join it and you have hundreds of thousands of people in a group and often times it actually translates into …

State of the Union: Invasion of the troll armies
7 years, 5 months ago

State of the Union: Invasion of the troll armies

Deccan Chronicle  

On September 16, I tweeted two videos from Stockholm that were forwarded to me on WhatsApp. I quoted the tweet and wrote back in Roman Hindi that this is called having fools as followers and keeping them in a permanent state of foolishness and then I extrapolated a line out of troll Deepak Kumar Singh’s tweet that even Mahatma Gandhi …

Psychology of internet trolls: They understand what hurts people but simply don't care
7 years, 8 months ago

Psychology of internet trolls: They understand what hurts people but simply don't care

ABC  

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran recently announced he had quit Twitter because he was sick of internet trolls. Psychological studies show trolls tend to be male, show higher levels of psychopathy traits — low levels of empathy, guilt and responsibility for their actions — and higher levels of sadism traits, the enjoyment of causing others physical and psychological pain. But trolls show …

There is a fine difference between trolling and threatening on Social Media, says author Arnab Ray
8 years, 2 months ago

There is a fine difference between trolling and threatening on Social Media, says author Arnab Ray

Firstpost  

Twitter has emerged as a parallel universe for a large number of people, but there is a fine line separating trolling from “threatening” someone, says a leading user of the social media platform. Also, there was no sharing on the walls of a social media website or a snarky tweet with a link to your blog back then,” he said …

Two consultants hired by WCD Ministry to regulate online “trolling”. Is this their job?
8 years, 6 months ago

Two consultants hired by WCD Ministry to regulate online “trolling”. Is this their job?

Op India  

Online harassment is taking a centre-stage due to Union minister Maneka Gandhi coming out with a hashtag #ImTrolledHelp to help women being harassed online. If somebody is being harassed online there are many ways to tackle it – if it is Facebook there are enough safeguards to report such harassment to Facebook and if it is Twitter there too exists …

Can Candid Conversations Happen Online Without The Trolls?
8 years, 7 months ago

Can Candid Conversations Happen Online Without The Trolls?

NPR  

Can Candid Conversations Happen Online Without The Trolls? Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Bindu Reddy Courtesy of Bindu Reddy A few years ago, Silicon Valley engineer Bindu Reddy was raising money for a new startup. Now Reddy's goal, with the new social network Candid, is to facilitate online conversations but without the trolls. Sponsor Message toggle caption Courtesy …

Maneka Gandhi’s idea of controlling trolling on internet is quixotic
8 years, 8 months ago

Maneka Gandhi’s idea of controlling trolling on internet is quixotic

Op India  

It is too much of a coincidence. — Maneka Gandhi July 5, 2016 And if media sources are to be believed, this is also in the works: Exclusive Menaka Gandhi constitutes separate cell in her ministry to check trolls menace — IndiaTodayFLASH July 8, 2016 Yes Maneka Gandhi wants to take it upon herself and her ministry to clean the …

Fardeen Khan Calls Internet Trolls Cowards for Body Shaming
8 years, 10 months ago

Fardeen Khan Calls Internet Trolls Cowards for Body Shaming

The Quint  

Dear all, Not ashamed neither shamed. This worldwide behavioral pattern on the internet is disturbing even though i believe in absolutely free speech and opinions. Being a realist, I will caution that all we can hope to achieve by speaking out is that the next time a person trolls purely for their own amusement, he or she pauses to consider …

Reclaim the Internet campaign to tackle 'colossal' scale of online misogyny
8 years, 10 months ago

Reclaim the Internet campaign to tackle 'colossal' scale of online misogyny

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Labour’s Yvette Cooper will join her party colleague Jess Phillips, former Liberal Democrat MP …

Bogey against Social Media “trolling”, a conspiracy against Free Speech in virtual world?
8 years, 10 months ago

Bogey against Social Media “trolling”, a conspiracy against Free Speech in virtual world?

Op India  

On the 19th of May, flipping channels watching reactions on assembly results, I saw a short conversation on NDTV, and it was shocking. Co-Founder and Executive Co-Chairperson of the tainted NDTV, Prannoy Roy asked a question to Arun Jaitley, asking whether ‘disgusting toxic trolls’ who ‘claim to have support of BJP’ could be controlled. She plugged it on Twitter with …

Twitter's anti-abuse policy seems like a much-needed remedy for the sick world of online trolls
9 years, 11 months ago

Twitter's anti-abuse policy seems like a much-needed remedy for the sick world of online trolls

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Since the dawn of the digital age he has lumbered tragically through the online world's green pastures, …

Internet trolls pose a threat: Internet commentators shouldn’t be anonymous.
10 years, 3 months ago

Internet trolls pose a threat: Internet commentators shouldn’t be anonymous.

Slate  

LONDON—If you are reading this article on the Internet, stop afterward and think about it. One group of researchers found that rude comments “not only polarized readers, but they often changed a participant’s interpretation of the news story itself.” A digital analyst at Atlantic Media also discovered that people who read negative comments were more likely to judge that an …

Tackling trolls in our imperfect system
10 years, 7 months ago

Tackling trolls in our imperfect system

ABC  

The "trolling" of Zelda Williams revealed the nasty side of social media and the difficulty in preventing it. Following the tragic death of Robin Williams earlier this week, we have once again seen the unfortunate and complex duality in how people use social media. These trolls are people who take to social media to intentionally cause distress by posting inflammatory …

Trolls invade social media : activists
11 years, 8 months ago

Trolls invade social media : activists

The Hindu  

On one hand, it expanded the scope for debate, otherwise impossible in mainstream media, on any subject under the sun. While appreciating criticism of his political leanings and ideology, he says slander or harsh remarks about his physical disabilities were nothing but “blackmail journalism.” “Critics have opened an account in the name of Sompadi Chitthar dedicated to vilify me. The …

Boredom drives trolling on Facebook and Twitter
11 years, 8 months ago

Boredom drives trolling on Facebook and Twitter

India TV News  

London, June 30: Boredom and amusement are behind many incidents of cyberbullying and trolling on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, a new first-of-its-kind study has found. The research by Lancaster University in UK, suggests that those who engage in trolling - Internet user behaviour that is meant to intentionally anger or frustrate someone else in order to …

Trolls who post vicious abuse on Twitter aren’t acting out of malice – they’re just bored, reveals study
11 years, 9 months ago

Trolls who post vicious abuse on Twitter aren’t acting out of malice – they’re just bored, reveals study

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The trolls who dole out vicious abuse on Twitter aren’t acting out of …

Q&A: Matt Haughey on Trolls, Nonfriend Networks, and Why Buzzfeed Sucks
11 years, 11 months ago

Q&A: Matt Haughey on Trolls, Nonfriend Networks, and Why Buzzfeed Sucks

Wired  

Wired: You founded Metafilter, a communal weblog, in 1999. For anything someone tosses out, there’s a really high chance that one in 10,000 people have done that exact same thing. I know people who handle comments for YouTube, and that must be the worst job in the world—it’s like gardening huge swaths of land, the size of several states. It …

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