How troll armies threaten journalism, privacy and democracy

[Commentary] The control of personal information is a powerful reality in 2016. It can be used as a weapon against oppression, as currency on the black market, and as an unregulated asset in political campaigns. Personally identifiable information (PII) can be used to shame people off the Internet and drive them toward depression or worse, and with “sextortion,” it can literally blackmail people based on abject fear. Heck, knowing the address of an adversary – say in the gaming community – can get them arrested and nearly killed by an armed-to-the-teeth SWAT team.

Controlling and manipulating PII can carry life-changing consequences for individuals. Just as disturbingly, controlling PII could even affect freedom of the press and the health of a democracy. Recently, The New York Times reported on Finnish journalist Jessikka Aro. As an award-winning investigative reporter for Finland’s state broadcaster, Yle Kioski, Aro decided to cover a powerful contingent of an alleged Russian-based “troll army.” What started as a quest to find truth, turned into a personal nightmare for Aro.