Troll ‘army’ masterminds coronavirus disinformation plan, conspiracy communities grow

A group of Dutch coronavirus-sceptic activists have been coordinating the dissemination of fake and misleading information about Covid-19 since February via the Telegram messaging service, researchers at current affairs show Pointer have found.

The group, calling itself the Digitale Leger (digital army) urged supporters to create fake social media accounts to spread the disinformation it provided them with. It also encouraged them to harass regional health centres, politicians and high profile doctors both online and offline, Pointer said.

For example, members were encouraged to bombard health board test centres with emails, posing as reporters with a long list of questions. The group also circulated the private address of Diederik Gommers, chairman of the acute hospital care association and a member of the government’s Outbreak Management Team.

The Pointer team spent three months infiltrating and monitoring the group, which collapsed in the wake of the March general election because of internal divisions. But at its high point, it had almost 800 members of whom 27 dictated group strategy.

Pointer said it had managed to identify 121 members of the group including three of the ringleaders. The programme will be broadcast on NPO2 on Thursday evening.