An information war is being waged within societies. On the internet, one of the most widely used weapons in this information war consists of professional manipulators (colloquially called trolls, though that term is far too limiting), who may work for state or private (corporate) political interests. Their goal is to steer, manipulate, and block discussions in favor of the organizations they serve, thereby exerting substantial influence over public discourse and the perception of reality.

For quite some time now, armies of such manipulators have been systematically and methodically attacking the internet. They target the pressure points of public discourse, take control of them, and turn them into platforms for suggestion and manipulation aimed at the public. Such spaces include forums, discussion clubs, online media outlets, and all other sites and services that enable communication between people. A large portion of the internet has already been infiltrated and occupied by trolls, and communication there is, in practice, no longer free. It is muffled and distorted, and as a result the right of societies and individuals to engage in free communication with one another is violated. Even those who do not participate in discussions but merely read them are subject to the manipulations being carried out.

State-sponsored trolling and the manipulation of online discussions are, for now, publicly known to be practiced in several countries—United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom, Israel, Turkey, Iran, Vietnam, India, Serbia, and Ukraine—but the list is likely much longer.

By bringing such forums under control through various tactics, trolls drive away and replace thoughtful participants. They simulate discussions and arguments among themselves in order to create the illusion of pluralism and a freely flowing discourse online. In this way—by imitating open debate with the participation of people holding all kinds of views—trolls gain the opportunity to stage countless setups and scenarios, as well as to deliver veiled suggestions and manipulations to the audiences of those forums, while also sowing disinformation.

By crippling, distorting, and blocking communication and substantive discourse online, trolls effectively block the synapses of collective cognitive activity, preventing collective consciousness from functioning at a higher level. This obstructs the development of certain ideas within public discourse and replaces them with delusions and illusions that help keep society under control.

The role of trolls should not be underestimated. They represent an extremely serious threat to the free functioning of societies. The very fact that they are deliberately “bred” by specific centers in so-called troll factories speaks volumes about their effectiveness and importance in the field of mass manipulation and disinformation.

The case of the Finnish journalist Jessica Aro, who investigated the activity of Russian trolls in Finland’s online space, is indicative of the close ties between trolls and the policies of certain states, oligarchies, and mafias—as well as of the ruthless tactics with which they are armed.