Attacking the ANZACs on Facebook

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Attacking the ANZACs on Facebook

306 Hawthorn Road,

Caulfield S. Vic. 3162

T (61-3) 9272 5594

E [email protected]

W: www.ohpi.org.au

Report: IR13-05

Dr Andre Oboler

Copyright 2013 Online Hate Prevention Institute

This work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-

NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
mailto:[email protected]://www.ohpi.org.au/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/http://www.ohpi.org.au/mailto:[email protected]


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Attacking the ANZACs on Facebook

By Andre Oboler

Published in Melbourne by:

Online Hate Prevention Institute

306 Hawthorn Rd, Caulfield South, Vic, 3162

Ph: (03) 9272 5594

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: http://www.ohpi.org.au

ISBN: 9780987429438

National Library of Australia

Cataloguing-in-Publication entry is available from the National Library of Australia:

http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/

Copyright 2013 Online Hate Prevention Institute

This work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/


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About the Online Hate Prevention Institute

The Online Hate Prevention Institute (OHPI) is an Australian Charity on the Register of Harm

Prevention Charities maintain by the Australian Government. We aim to be a world leader incombating online hate and a critical partner who works with key stakeholders to improve the

prevention, mitigation and responses to online hate. Ultimately, OHPI seeks to facilitate a change in

online culture so that hate in all its forms becomes as socially unacceptable online as it is in real

life. OHPI is supported by public donations to the Online Hate Prevention Fund. Within Australia

donations over two dollars are tax deductible (see below).

More information can be found on our website:www.ohpi.org.au

About the Reports Author, Dr Andre Oboler

Dr Oboler is CEO of the Online Hate Prevention Institute. Dr Oboler holds an Honours Degree in

Computer Science from Monash University (Australia), a PhD in Computer Science from Lancaster

University (UK) and completed a Post Doctoral Fellowship in the Department of Political Science at

Bar-Ilan University (Israel). He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and a member of the IEEE Computer

Society and the IEEE Society for the Social Implications of Technology.

How you can help us

As a first step in supporting our work, if you use Facebook please like our Facebook page at

www.ohpi.org.au/onlinehate, and if you have Twitter, please follow us at@onlinehate. You can also

assist us by sharing our work with others.

OHPIs work is made possible through public donations. In Australia we are a Registered Harm

Prevention Charity and all donations over $2 to the Online Hate Prevention Fund are tax deductible.

We also accept donations from outside Australia.

Donations can be made through our website:http://ohpi.org.au/donate/ Cheques payable to the Online Hate Prevention Fund can be mailed to: OHPI, 306

Hawthorn Road, Caulfield South, Vic 3126, Australia.
http://www.ohpi.org.au/http://www.ohpi.org.au/http://www.ohpi.org.au/http://www.ohpi.org.au/onlinehatehttp://www.ohpi.org.au/onlinehatehttp://www.twitter.com/onlinehatehttp://www.twitter.com/onlinehatehttp://www.twitter.com/onlinehatehttp://ohpi.org.au/donate/http://ohpi.org.au/donate/http://ohpi.org.au/donate/http://ohpi.org.au/donate/http://www.twitter.com/onlinehatehttp://www.ohpi.org.au/onlinehatehttp://www.ohpi.org.au/


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ContentsIntroduction ............................................................................................................................................ 2

List of Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 3

Remove Anzac Day As a Public Holiday (ID: 159620354199211) ........................................................... 4

Attacking the ANZACs ......................................................................................................................... 4

Impersonation and incitement ........................................................................................................... 8

Anzac day is a joke (ID: 642183265797348) ......................................................................................... 12

Attacking the ANZACs ....................................................................................................................... 13

Impersonation and incitement ......................................................................................................... 17


Attacking the ANZACs and mocking victims of the Boston Marathon attack................................... 19

Impersonation with Joseph ........................................................................................................... 20


Attacking the ANZACs ....................................................................................................................... 25


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Introduction

In the lead-up to ANZAC day 2013 an internettrollbegan creating a series of pages mocking ANZAC

veterans. The pages were designed to cause public outrage in both Australia and New Zealand.

The pages had few fans, and most of the fans they had on inspection appeared to be recently

created fake accounts. Most, if not all, of the fake accounts appear to belong to the page creator.

While our veterans can take comfort in the fact that those who would support such attacks are few

and far between, the outrage felt by the community was significant.

The person responsible for these pages is known to OHPI in relation to a number of past incidents,

including pages attacking Indigenous Australians and the Jewish Community, and pages mocking the

death of various children who have died in Australia in tragic circumstances. This page creator is a

particular kind oftrollknown as a griefer, that is, someone who uses fake accounts in order to

destroy other peoples experience of social media. Their aim is to cause distress, and if possible, get

media attention.

This report documents the first four pages created in this latest run of incidents. A fifth page, of a

slightly different nature, was also briefly online and will be discussed in OHPIs next report. In this

report, each Facebook page is addressed in two parts, the first examines the content attacking

ANZAC veterans, and the second considers the secondary attack that occurs when the griefer

subsequently discloses their identity. The identity information they provide whether it is a name,

a Facebook profile link, or a phone number typically points to a real person who has been selected

by the griefer as a target. The page is designed to generate anger and a desire for steps to be taken

against the person behind the page, and the provision of identity information then discloses a clear

and immediate target.

The behaviour documented in this report demonstrates an escalation by this particular griefer over

the last few days which has thankfully been matched by an increasingly fast responses from

Facebook in response to OHPI reports. Facebook has been shutting down not only the hate pages,

but also the fake accounts associated with them.

This person has been active for six months, as documented both in OHPIs public reports, such as our

report into Aboriginal Memes and Online Hate,1 and in confidential reports that have been shared

with relevant government departments and officials. OHPI believes the nature of this persons

activities is such that it creates a genuine risk of emotional or physical harm to members of targeted

communities as well as to targeted victims of their secondary attacks.

Online action is clearly insufficient to bring an end to these attacks on ANZAC veterans and other

segments of the community. OHPI believe offences have been committed both under the

Queensland Criminal Code and the Commonwealths Criminal Code Act 1995. Only a successful

prosecution will put an end to this persons reign of hate.

1See:http://ohpi.org.au/aboriginal-memes-and-online-hate/
http://ohpi.org.au/aboriginal-memes-and-online-hate/http://ohpi.org.au/aboriginal-memes-and-online-hate/http://ohpi.org.au/aboriginal-memes-and-online-hate/http://ohpi.org.au/aboriginal-memes-and-online-hate/


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List of Recommendations

# Recommendation Page

1 Where fake accounts are used to create dedicated hate pages, all related fake

accounts and related pages administered by the same accounts should be foundand closed.

4

2 Where a hate page is created and the anonymous page owner then impersonates

another person, this should be classes as a potential immediate threat of physical

harm and deal with as a matter of priority.

8

3 Even where content is repeatedly recreated, its removal is still an effective

response. It also sends a normative message to the effect that this content

crosses a line.

12

4 Facebook users should be wary of any page that posts a link to a Facebook profile

or external website, or which posts personal information, and which claims this

information belong to the page owner. Following a recommendation from OHPI,

Facebook made it possible for page owners to visibly link their Facebook accountto their page. If this has not been done, any claim of ownership to a page must

be treated as suspicious.

18

5 Organisations, companies and brands with a Facebook page should receive a

notification when someone wishes to list themselves as employed by that entity.

Until a page administrator accepts the person, they should not be visibly

associated with the entitys page. To prevent abuse, administrators should be

able to turn off notifications for approval.

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6 Where someone is the victim of repeated attacks, in a short time period,

involving the recreation of hate pages Facebook has already removed, an

additional reporting option should become available to allow new incidents to be

easily linked to the previous incident. This would speed up the review process atFacebooks end, and allow these ongoing attacks to be given priority and the

response from Facebook to be more easily escalated.

21


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Remove Anzac Day As a Public Holiday (ID: 159620354199211)

Figure 1: The page Remove Anzac Day As a Public Holiday (ID: 159620354199211)

This page was created on the 8th of April and, along with a related page and a number of fake user

accounts, which OHPI brought to Facebooks attention, was closed by Facebook on the 12th of April.

The step of removing the infrastructure was a significant measure. Despite a new page Anzac day is

a joke (ID 642183265797348) later being created, the removal of the infrastructure significantly

decreased the capacity of those behind the page and forced them to begin again from scratch. OHPIthanks Facebook for their response to this page which was both efficient and thorough.

Recommendation 1: Where fake accounts are used to create dedicated hate pages, all related fake

accounts and related pages administered by the same accounts should be found and closed.

Attacking the ANZACs

Figure 2 The video game


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Figure 3 Best we forget

Figure 4 A hero he's not


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Figure 5 ANZACs = Murderers

Figure 6 Get Well Soon Crew Laughs at your Dead


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Figure 7 Once a murderer always a murderer

Figure 8 Wheres Wally, POW edition


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Figure 9 Australian soldiers are weak and slow

Figure 10 ANZACs should make amends for death, destruction and misery

Figure 11 Remove ANZAC Day out of respect for German victims

Impersonation and incitement

The page also involved an impersonation of OHPIs CEO, Dr Andre Oboler. This was done to stir up

anger at the page creator and then direct this anger at the chosen target, Dr Oboler. The comments

are a clear case of incitement. There was also a second target, the owner of the phone numberattributed to Dr Oboler. The incitement led to threats of violence on Facebook, and most likely by

phone as well.

Recommendation 2: Where a hate page is created and the anonymous page owner then

impersonates another person, this should be classes as a potential immediate threat of physical

harm and deal with as a matter of priority.


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Figure 12 Impersonation

Figure 13 Impersonation and direct incitement


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Figure 14 Impersonation and a phone number (not mine)

Figure 15 expression of violence in response to incitement


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Figure 16 Expression of violence in response to incitements

Figure 17 Expression of violence in response to incitement


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Anzac day is a joke (ID: 642183265797348)

Figure 18: The page "Anzac day is a joke" (ID: 642183265797348)

The page Anzac day is a joke (ID: 642183265797348) was created on Saturday the 13th following

the removal of the Remove Anzac Day As a Public Holiday (ID: 159620354199211) page. It was

closed on Tuesday the 16th.

The closure of supporting infrastructure related to the Remove Anzac Day As a Public Holiday (ID:

159620354199211) page set the creators of the new page back significantly. They created new fakeaccounts with the same profile pictures and names as those in the previous accounts Facebook had

closed, but doing so cost them time and effort. Given the nature of social media, each time a page

or account is closed, the creator must also begin building their social network and page supporter

base from the beginning.

Recommendation 3: Even where content is repeatedly recreated, its removal is still an effective

response. It also sends a normative message to the effect that this content crosses a line.

The number of supporters of the hate page may reduce:

1) As a result of a realization that things have gone too far2) Out of a well placed concern that their activities are now in the spotlight of those able to

take action against them (be it Facebook or law enforcement), and in the case of Facebook,

that they may be putting their other accounts and pages at risk if they continue

3) As a response to the higher level of effort required to keep re-liking new version of the page,re-friending replacement fake accounts, and reposting content that is repeatedly removed


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Figure 19 Laughing at the death of the ANZACs

Figure 20 ANACs dying like slaughtered pigs


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Figure 21 Repost of the Best We Forget image from the previous page


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Figure 22 Mocking the desecration of a memorial

Figure 23 Attempt to cause outrage through frained ignorance (1)


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Figure 24 Reposting of the A hero he's not image

Figure 25 Attempt to cause outrage through frained ignorance (2)


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Impersonation and incitement

This page also involved impersonation and incitement.

Figure 26 Impersonation of Andre Oboler

Figure 27 Giving out a phone number (probably belonging to a victim)


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The third page, also entitled Anzac day is a joke but now with the unique page ID number

476914582364450, was created on Tuesday April 16th at around 4pm, and was closed by 11pm,

within an hour of OHPI notifying Facebook. The pages cover photograph this time featured a

military funeral with three targets drawn over the soldiers and the text pop pop pop. The creator

dropped their faked political motive of opposing war, and now focused purely on causing offencewithout any attempt at justification.

In this instance, the page creator invested a great deal of effort in their impersonation, and some

members of the public fell for their libellous claim that OHPI and its CEO, Dr Andre Oboler, were

somehow involved in this new hate page. Previous impersonation efforts had been rapidly dismissed

by Facebook users as soon as they began doing their own research. This time, however, some users

fell for the impersonation and began posting OHPIs contact details and office address to Facebook

while others called for physical attacks against the page creator. Facebooks rapid response was a

result of this escalating level of threat.

The new page also included content mocking the bomb attack on the Boston marathon.

Recommendation 4: Facebook users should be wary of any page that posts a link to a Facebook

profile or external website, or which posts personal information, and which claims this information

belong to the page owner. Following a recommendation from OHPI, Facebook made it possible for

page owners to visibly link their Facebook account to their page. If this has not been done, any claim

of ownership to a page must be treated as suspicious.


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Attacking the ANZACs and mocking victims of the Boston Marathon attack

Figure 28 The cover image of a funeral precession being targeted

Figure 29 Defamation of the ANZACs and attempt to cause outrage through frained ignorance

Figure 30 Mocking the victims of the Boston Marathon attack


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Figure 31 Anne Frank and the ANZACs another attempt to cause outrage through frained ignorance

Impersonation with Joseph

This time the impersonation involved the creation of a new fictional character, Joseph Oboler. This

involved the creation of a fake account and then the use of that account to post on the anti-veteran

hate page.

Figure 32 "Joseph Oboler" appears

Look at the profile itself shows that the workplace has been sent to OHPI, a number of posts are

made to highlight the supposed Jewish identity of the poster, and reference is made to OHPIs CEO

Dr Andre Oboler, who has been edited into a photograph with Joseph.


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Figure 33 The fake accounts workplace has been set to OHPI

Recommendation 5: Organisations, companies and brands with a Facebook page should receive a

notification when someone wishes to list themselves as employed by that entity. Until a page

administrator accepts the person, they should not be visibly associated with the entitys page. To

prevent abuse, administrators should be able to turn off notifications for approval.

Recommendation 6: Where someone is the victim of repeated attacks, in a short time period,

involving the recreation of hate pages Facebook has already removed, an additional reporting option

should become available to allow new incidents to be easily linked to the previous incident. This

would speed up the review process at Facebooks end, and allow these ongoing attacks to be given

priority and the response from Facebook to be more easily escalated.


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Figure 34 Edited photograph of "Joseph" and Andre (these events have been back dated to before the profiles creation

date)

The photograph used for Joseph Obolers profile picture is actually that of Mr Pascal Canfin,

Frances Deputy Minister of Development. The picture appears to have been lifted and cropped from

the French Foreign Ministry website.

2

The use of this more elaborate profile cause people to be more accepting of the authenticity of the

profile, this created both anti-Jewish responses and efforts to expose OHPIs address in order to

make it a target.

2http://arabe.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/politique-etrangere-de-la-france/aide-au-developpement-et/assises-du-

developpement-et-de-la/actualites-21795/article/cloture-des-assises-du
http://arabe.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/politique-etrangere-de-la-france/aide-au-developpement-et/assises-du-developpement-et-de-la/actualites-21795/article/cloture-des-assises-duhttp://arabe.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/politique-etrangere-de-la-france/aide-au-developpement-et/assises-du-developpement-et-de-la/actualites-21795/article/cloture-des-assises-duhttp://arabe.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/politique-etrangere-de-la-france/aide-au-developpement-et/assises-du-developpement-et-de-la/actualites-21795/article/cloture-des-assises-duhttp://arabe.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/politique-etrangere-de-la-france/aide-au-developpement-et/assises-du-developpement-et-de-la/actualites-21795/article/cloture-des-assises-duhttp://arabe.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/politique-etrangere-de-la-france/aide-au-developpement-et/assises-du-developpement-et-de-la/actualites-21795/article/cloture-des-assises-duhttp://arabe.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/politique-etrangere-de-la-france/aide-au-developpement-et/assises-du-developpement-et-de-la/actualites-21795/article/cloture-des-assises-du


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Figure 35 Users respond - Use of Joseph incites antisemitism, impact of frained ignorance


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Figure 36 Targeting OHPI


The 4th page attacking ANZAC veterans, the third by the name ANZAC day is a joke (ID:

623017154379082), was created around 11:30pm on April 16th

. OHPI notified Facebook when we

became aware of the page and it was removed within 24 hours of its creation.


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Figure 37 Attempt to cause outrage through frained ignorance

Figure 38 Defaming the ANZAC veterans

Figure 39 Call to ban ANZAC Day

Figure 40 Mobile phone number

Attacking the ANZACs on Facebook

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