All Perpetrators (5)

The perpetrators of abuse types range in scale from a single individual to nation states. They also vary drastically by the access they have to a target and their data. Here are some examples.

For the purpose of introducing viewers to this space, relationships displayed between objects in this taxonomy (abuse types, perpetrator types, mitigation strategies, etc) represent the most common connections we've seen between them. In the real world, any object can relate to any other.

Is there anything you’d like to provide comment on in this taxonomy? We’d love to hear your feedback!

Formal group

An established organization that coordinates systematic targeting campaigns against individuals or groups, typically for political, ideological, or social control purposes.

Informal group

An informal, semi-organized online group that coordinate to overwhelm a target with harassment, threats, and abuse.

Nation-state

Government entities or state-sponsored actors that systematically target individuals and groups using digital technologies for political suppression and social control.

Stranger

An (often anonymous) individual who has taken an interest in someone or a group that they do not have a personal connection to.

Personal connection

An individual who personally knows (either shallowly or intimately) the person they are targeting

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