What is Witch Hunting?

An internet witch hunt is a campaign targeting a person or group who holds an unorthodox or unpopular view. The term internet witch hunt gets its name from the Salem witch trials where many individuals were wrongly targeted, convicted of being a witch, and executed. While physical witch hunting has been stopped, internet witch hunting has taken over to replace it. These modern hunts take place on a much larger scale, and participants are from all around the world, some of whom are unaware of the consequences of their actions.

The problem, like in the Salem witch hunts, is that the individual is not usually fully guilty of the crime they are accused of and targeted for. But when they are, a modern witch hunt will focus on their prosecution rather than the root of the cause.

Learn more about the different forms of internet witch hunting and find out what you can do to prevent them from happening.