They hid behind names like “offended white women” and “politically incorrect.” Using a hidden camera, it was revealed that the party's communications department was running what they themselves referred to as a troll factory. On Monday there was a laundry meeting.
The short version
- Investigative journalists at Swedish channel TV4 revealed that the Sweden Democrats were running an “internal troll factory”.
The summary has been prepared with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and quality guaranteed by Aftenposten journalists.
Dwarf factories, something we like to associate with Russian propaganda.
Now the Sweden Democrats are in the middle of a political scandal. Dangerous journalists in Swedish “Call Fakta” program on TV4 They revealed that the party's communications department runs itself what they refer to as ” Dwarf factoryDwarf factoryTrollfabrikker is a company that aims to influence Internet users in the direction that customers want. The company particularly benefits from the mass production of “trolling,” provocative, and derailing activity and comments in social media debates and discussions. (Source Wikipedia) internally.
For several months, one of their reporters was undercover in the communications department. Using a hidden camera, he revealed that SD was behind at least 23 anonymous accounts. They hid behind names like “offended white women” and “politically incorrect.”
With the party's communications director in charge, they slandered both political opponents and their political partners, according to TV4.
“It was good to see what's so stupid about Alice, and why we think she's so stupid,” communications director Joachim Wallerstein says in a hidden recording.
Alice Teodorescu-Maoi was the Christian Democratic Party's first candidate in the EU elections.
With 20% support, SD Sverge becomes the second largest party in 2022. They cooperate with the ruling parties Moderates, Christian Democrats and Liberals through a cooperation agreement. This is the first time that the previously controversial party has exercised official influence over the work of the Swedish government.
Talking about misinformation in Arabic
Through anonymous accounts, party workers have also spread what TV4 describes as xenophobic clips – and misleading information about Sweden.
A hidden camera captured images of party staff discussing how to spread disinformation about the Social Democrats in Arabic during the election campaign and, among other things, calling for “violent resistance.”
It is alleged in the recordings that party leader Jimmy Acheson knew about and approved of the troll factory. He later denied this.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of the moderates says the issue It hurts cooperation He believes that what has come to light also contradicts the cooperation agreement between the government and SD.
If the ruling parties criticize, the opposition is in trouble. On Monday, secretaries of all parties with seats in the Swedish Parliament met to clear the air.
After the meeting, the mood wasn't much better.
I think it's humor
Some anonymous accounts were removed after the disclosure. But the Sweden Democrats have not completely backed down.
Admittedly, it was decided to reassign two employees following the disclosure. The two also had to undergo training on the respect clause of the cooperation agreement, which concerns cooperation parties referring to each other with respect.
But the next day, they returned to their old roles.
Newspaper Express It also tells how both training and transportation were treated with cynical distance in the party. The silly video shows how they were actually repositioned – by switching places. They also receive a “diploma” for training, with photos of themselves taken from hidden Kalla Fakta recordings.
Party leader Jimmy Akesson denies there is talk of misinformation and incitement.
– What TV4 wanted to show is the factory of trolling and misinformation. They couldn't. He said in an interview with the channel, “They are just comic clips that they were able to reveal after a year of infiltration.” SVT.
The traits of Alice Teodorescu-Maui, a member of the Christian Democratic Party, are called “corridor talk.”
The party justifies the use of anonymous accounts by saying that its own accounts have been blocked.
Continue with hidden accounts
After the meeting, SD Party Secretary Matthias Backström Johansson said they would not stop it.
-We have a problem with accounts being closed by tech giants, and that we do not have the opportunity to fully participate on an equal footing. As long as these assumptions hold, he says, we will have to work this way.
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