Huddersfield researchers are investigating Twitter trolls attacking Madeleine McCann 's family.
Almost a decade since the disappearance of toddler Madeleine McCann on holiday in Portugal, activity online regarding the case is constant.
Now University of Huddersfield psychology researchers are looking at why a lot of the online commentary being directed in the form of abuse, a behaviour commonly referred to as ‘trolling’.
The university project has led to a call for measures – including an end to pseudonyms on Twitter – that would curb the anonymity that enables cyber-trolling.
The University of Huddersfield’s Dr John Synnott said: “It is encouraging to see that ministers have called the major social media platforms to Whitehall to demand that they do more to protect people online from cyber-bullying and trolling or face sanctions. This is a step in the right direction by making these platforms responsible for negative behaviour that they unfortunately enable.
“There is absolutely a need for such precautions. Trolls are hiding behind the facility to be anonymous, which Twitter enables to a certain degree.”
A key discovery of the research conducted by Dr Synnott, his colleague Dr Maria Ioannou and postgraduate student Andria Coulias, is that far from operating in isolation trolls form “anti-social networks” that reinforce their behaviour.
Also, media reports that condemn the trolls’ actions have the effect of “showering them with the very attention they appear to covet.”
The sheer volume of tweets by the anti-McCann group – and by supporters of Madeleine’s parents – made it a good case study for assessing trolling.
It was found that “the insults and abuse levelled at both the McCanns and the pro-McCann users were constant, repetitive, and in clear violation of Twitter policies, though user accounts were rarely suspended”.
The theme of motherhood implied a strong female presence in the anti-McCann group, whereas earlier research has suggested that trolls are mostly male, because of frequent misogynistic sentiments.
It comes as Twitter has just unveiled a host of new features aimed at protecting users from harassment and abuse, which will be rolled out in the coming weeks.
The site will be using algorithms to identify people who are engaging in abusive behaviour, even if it’s not reported.
Twitter could set a ‘time out’ limitation so only that person’s followers can see their tweets for a set period. There will also be more filtering options and greater use of the mute button.
