Latvian elves to take on internet trolls

In an age of internet trolls, Latvia has the perfect response: an army of “elves” to take them on.

The initiative of former Lithuanian diplomat Ingmārs Bisenieks, and supported by the Centre for East European Policy Studies (CEEPS) and the Latvian Transatlantic Organization (LATO), the “elf unit” (Elfu vienība) is made up of volunteers devoted to exposing and responding to disinformation or malicious content spread by trolls on the Latvian internet.

“It is time for those Latvians to unite who are not indifferent to what is happening in Latvia’s internet. Therefore, [we] offer support and encourage the initiative,” CEEPS and LATO explained in a statement.

The project takes its lead from an existing initiative in Lithuania, which has already attracted several thousand “elves”.

Source: LSM.lv