“It doesn’t matter if it’s a foreign troll or a domestic troll. It matters,” says internet safety expert
A Langford-based internet safety expert says Russian trolling on social media in Victoria is unlikely, but not impossible.
Online trolls can come from anywhere, and there’s not much difference between domestic trolls and trolls from Russia.
“I think the local scene is probably just very passionate people in the community,” White Hatters CEO Brandon Rohr said. “They’re trying to cause panic, cause concern, feed disinformation. So it doesn’t matter whether it’s a foreign troll or a domestic troll. That’s a problem.”
Evidence suggests that an undue focus on Russian trolls is not unwarranted, as there have been troll-like disturbances in the past. But this is a much bigger problem than just one country.
“I think there’s a psychological component to focusing on foreign influence, but there’s just as much domestic influence as foreign influence,” Rohr said.
It can be hard to tell if you’re involved with a troll or just a passionate person, but there are signs you can look for, such as a profile with links to family history and photos. There are several.
“I think those accounts are more or less uplifting and worth listening to and responding to, but the ones that are just posting memes are the ones that are the first ones I want to respond to.” It’s not.”
Trolls have different motivations. Roll said some people may be trying to embarrass or make fun of you for entertainment, and others may be trying to sway public opinion.
“We have passion on both sides and it can get very heated. We get to interact with a community that thinks like a crowd.”
Tracking people and trolls is difficult for the average person due to the necessary equipment. However, looking at account history and other posted information may be helpful, Roll said.
“If you know where to look, you can get clues that can help you further confirm or deny who the person is.”
He said trolls who are forum moderators could be banned from platforms such as Reddit and Facebook. Establishing clear rules and community guidelines can help reduce the damage caused by these trolls.
When it comes to bad behavior on the internet, such as trolling, it’s important to categorize it into three different categories.
“Are they mean and rude? Are they just causing drama? Or are they breaking the law?”
When someone violates the law, there are criminal violations that can be pursued through law enforcement. If someone is causing drama, it’s important to refer to the community guidelines.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to fight social media trolls. But Rohr said there is a constant battle between those trying to combat misinformation and those trying to spread it.
“It’s a tug-of-war right now because there are tools being used to fight trolls and misinformation. At the same time, those who do things like trolls also use AI,” Laur said.
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