Internet instigators

Internet instigators are organising protests and campaigns using social media and other internet tools and apps to promote their causes. Nina Robinson explores the methods used by activists to create online communities, spearheaded by their charismatic and authentic personalities and hard-hitting visual content.

The Indian fashion influencer, Masaba Gupta, explains how she is challenging stereotypes by showcasing the beauty of women with darker skin tones in a society obsessed with fairer ones.

And Aliya Curmally, from Indian Fashion Revolution, describes how she is building a movement against fast fashion. But the methods used to achieve those sort of aims can be very similar to ones activists use to spread hate speech. Internet instigators come in many guises. Professor Megan Squire from Elon University and Patrik Hermannson from the anti-racist organisation Hope Not Hate, delve into their research around extremist, far-right networks.

Presenter: Nina Robinson

(Photo: Mobile phone with social media apps on a laptop keyboard. Credit: Ercin Erturk/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)