SD's troll factory revealed – reporter worked undercover
Part 1 of 2 – Posed as an employee • Captured by hidden camera
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The Sweden Democrats secretly spread misleading information and propaganda with the help of a troll factory inside the party's premises, Kalla fakta can reveal with a unique material captured with hidden camera. The YouTube channel Riks, which claims to be independent of the party, plays a significant role in the troll factory's machinery.
For several years, the Sweden Democrats have denied allegations that the party runs anonymous social media accounts. Before the 2018 election, SD's head of communication Joakim Wallerstein was questioned by both Aftonbladet and Dagens Nyheter. Four years later, ETC reported, citing anonymous sources, that there was a secret troll army within the Sweden Democrats.
“I haven't seen any troll activity, nor have I seen any evidence of anything,” said Joakim Wallerstein in an interview with TV4.
Sources confirm
But three independent sources that Kalla fakta has spoke with, who have or have had insight into the operation, claim the opposite.
“The troll factory comes up often before elections, and it has been launched then. It's very relevant to take over forums. That has been SD's strong suit when it comes to communication on Facebook and other social platforms,” one of them tell Kalla fakta.
An analysis Kalla fakta conducted of social media data also showed signs that the operation is ongoing. To find out if there really is a troll factory, Kalla fakta's reporter applied for a job in the party.
Worked undercover
For a total of five months, Kalla fakta's reporter posed as an employee in the party’s circles. First as a reporter on the YouTube channel Riks and then as a communicator in the party's communications department.
With a hidden camera, it was revealed how the YouTube channel and the party are closely connected. And that employees in the communications department are tasked with managing a large number of anonymous accounts.
This is What Kalla Fakta Reveals
Over a year, Kalla fakta's reporter, went undercover in the Swedish Democrats. Using a hidden camera, he worked for the propaganda channel Riks for 2 motnhs and within the SD's troll factory for 3 months. Here is what we have documented:
Kalla fakta has identified 23 accounts run from SD's communications department without it being transparent. Inside the party, numbers like 50, 70, and 100 accounts are also mentioned, but account names are generally not discussed openly, so the exact number is unknown to Kalla fakta.
There are thirteen accounts on TikTok, three accounts on YouTube, three accounts on Instagram, and four accounts on Facebook. Two of the accounts are "Vita kränkta kvinnor" and "Politiskt inkorrekt."
SD has also hired two influencers who produce political material without it being apparent that the Sweden Democrats are behind them.
The operation is partly financed with taxpayer money through the party contributions SD receives.
The Sweden Democrats' anonymous accounts spread xenophobic clips and mass-produce misleading information about Sweden and attack politicians from other parties.
Humor is described by the online warriors as an effective tool to convince young people to become Sweden Democrats.
In a clip from the hidden camera, party employees discuss how to spread disinformation about the Social Democrats in Arabic during the election campaign, including urging "violent resistance."
Head of communication Joakim Wallerstein acts to circumvent what is called a "troll factory block" on TikTok by buying new mobile phones for the online warriors for tens of thousands of kronor.
When two employees were to leave their computers at a workshop, they were scolded by head of communication Joakim Wallerstein. He is afraid that it would lead to major headlines in the press if the content on the online warrior's computer becomes known.
Employees create deep fakes with AI of political opponents' voices. For example, they make Magdalena Andersson say things she never said.
Jimmie Åkesson is claimed to be aware of one of the employees' anonymous accounts and that it is approved from above. Jimmie Åkesson later dismisses this as boasting by the employee.
The YouTube channel Riks claims to be independent and autonomous – but is in many ways connected to the Communications department. Their material is an important part of the troll factory's machinery, and the party's employees have direct access to Riks' IT system.
Internally, they are called ”network warriors” or ”trolls”, and the operation they are part of is called a ”troll factory” by themselves. A large number of accounts are used to spread content that benefits the party and discredits its opponents without anyone knowing who is behind it.
From the inside, Kalla fakta has been able to identify three people who, under the direction of the head of communication Joakim Wallerstein and led by the team leader Mikael Stålbrandt, run these accounts.
Riks and SD closely connected
A significant portion of the material that the party's troll accounts spread comes from the YouTube channel Riks, which the party started four years ago. The channel was sold last summer, and has since then officially given the impression that Riks is independent.
But Kalla fakta's investigation shows how closely linked Riks and the communications department are. They share the same premises, use the same staff, and have access to each other's material.
SD is the channel's largest financier, and daily meetings take place between Riks owner Jacob Hagnell and the Sweden Democrats' head of communication Joakim Wallerstein.
The close cooperation shows that Riks is an important part of the Sweden Democrats' troll factory – a term the party wants to distance itself from claiming they do not spread any disinformation, which they see as key to defining a troll factory.
After learning about Kalla fakta's investigation, Joakim Wallerstein admitted that they work with hidden accounts.
Criticism from researchers
According to Ola Svenonius, a researcher at the Swedish Defence Research Agency, a troll factory is an organized operation aimed at influencing public debate using anonymous accounts.
Since the number of accounts creates an illusion of greater engagement in an issue than actually exists, it creates a type of disinformation, according to Svenonius. And he therefore says that the problem with troll factories is primarily built into how they are structured.
“If someone in an organized way influences me against my will or without my consent, it is a problem for democratic opinion formation. It should be free. It's called free opinion formation and it's a cornerstone of the democratic system. That's where we have the problem,” says Ola Svenonius.
SD denies the allegations
When Kalla fakta called Jacob Hagnell, he did not agree to an interview but said he has always been open and transparent about the connection to the party and that he does not know that Riks would be part of the troll factory's machinery.
Joakim Wallerstein, who agreed to a phone interview, denies running a troll factory and claims that his employees call the operation a ”troll factory” because the media has called it that for so long.
“I don't think I have run a so-called troll factory for the simple reason that I have not spread information that is incorrect,” says Joakim Wallerstein.
“If my staff have heard for ten years that they run a troll factory and they joke about it internally, I don't see anything strange with that.”
This text was translated from Swedish with the support of AI, ChatGPT4o, and edited by a reporter.
The troll factory
The Sweden Democrats have denied the information about a troll factory. Kalla fakta goes undercover and reveal what is happening inside the party.
