Recovered Archive / Safety
Coordinated harassment is not one person sending threats. It is a group, sometimes dozens, sometimes thousands, mobilized to attack a single target simultaneously. The campaign may be organized on a forum, a chat group, or a social media thread, then directed at one person. The goal is to overwhelm, isolate, and force the target into silence or withdrawal from public life.
Coordinated harassment (also called brigading, mobbing, or a pile-on) typically combines multiple tactics: doxxing, threats, mass reporting of the target's accounts to get them suspended, fake accounts impersonating the target, review bombing if the target has a business, and contacting the target's employer or family. The campaign often starts with a single post that frames the target as deserving attack, then spreads through shares and screenshots. It can last days, weeks, or recur for years.
Coordinated harassment can cause severe psychological harm and can escalate to physical danger. If you are the target of a sustained campaign, you do not have to absorb it alone. PEN America, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and local advocates can help you build a response plan. If the campaign includes doxxing, swatting, or direct threats, treat it as an active safety threat and contact law enforcement.
Browse crisis and legal resources →If you know a resource, law, or tool that should be added here, use contact.