Harassment, intimidation, or disruption

An internet pile-on can be embarrassing, unpleasant or scary. When lots of people join in a pile-on, it can be overwhelming. People can also feel:

• anxious
• frustrated
• depressed
• suicidal

Physical harm

Pile-on harassment can lead to offline harm. This includes:

• harassment at home or at work
• property damage
• vandalism
• physical violence

These harms are more likely to occur if a pile-on has included doxxing.

Disruption to communities

Long campaigns of harassment and abuse can disrupt individuals and communities.

Groups might feel they have to close certain pages, accounts, or forum threads. Individual group members might feel like they can’t participate online.

Pages or accounts belonging to a group or community can also experience hacking when targeted by a pile-on.

Damage to relationships and reputation

People involved in a pile-on might reveal private and personal information about someone. This is also known as doxxing. This can damage an individual’s reputation. For example, an employer may be told about someone’s political affiliation.

Relationships with friends and family may also be damaged by information or photos that are shared.

Financial harm

Pile-on harassment could cause financial loss for a person or business.

This could include someone who makes money through live-streaming. Viewers or advertisers may be less likely to engage with a streamer who is constantly harassed. This can result in them losing money.

Popular social media accounts can also be the target of a pile-on. These accounts may have to restrict privacy settings or limit activity. This can make it more difficult for them to promote products or engage with potential customers.

Fake news and disinformation

Harassment during a pile-on can involve spreading lies about an individual or community. It may damage the reputation of an individual or group, or lead to further abuse.

It can be difficult for someone to dismiss rumours or lies if many people are engaging in the pile-on.

A young person might take part in pile-on harassment if they:

• want to defend or attack a high-profile figure
• want to support or attack a cause
• feel strongly about someone’s views or beliefs
• find it funny to get a reaction
• feel pressure from friends or online communities to take part

Groups of people can also be paid to take part in trolling behaviours like a pile-on. This can be to deliberately disrupt an organisation, or to spread misinformation.