deducecanoe:

Gamergate hits new low with attempts to send Swat teams to critics

Police officers sent to home of web developer after hoax call intended to dispatch hea

Internet trolls are attempting to get police Swat teams sent to the homes of critics of Gamergate in an escalation of intimidatory tactics.

Five police officers were sent to the home of a Seattle-area web developer after an anonymous tip was phoned in, in the latest attempted “swatting” attack linked to the Gamergate movement.

Swatting – also known as “SWATing” – involves placing hoax distress calls to police departments in an attempt to encourage the dispatch of an armed response team to the targeted address.

Such hoaxes – which more commonly involve the sending of takeaway food to be paid for on delivery – can be conducted from anywhere in the world with little chance of the culprit being traced, making them a popular intimidation tool.

Web developer Israel Galvez, the most recent swatting target, is a prominent opponent of Gamergate, a movement opposed to the increasing prominence of feminist critics and designers in gaming.

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This is why no one likes you, assholes.