The “Netherlands” Network

We have seen how pro-PiS and anti-PiS networks use coordinated behavior to advance their causes on Facebook. But the largest of these networks, in scale and number of followers, appears to be aimed more specifically at far-right Facebook users. Because this network was distinguished by Page managers located in the Netherlands (see below), we refer to it as the “Netherlands” network.

The Netherlands network consists of 51 Pages. Some of these Pages have names intended to appeal to Polish nationalist sentiment, such as “Lwów jest polski” [Lviv is Polish”] and “Obrońcy Narodu Polskiego” [“Defenders of the Polish Nation”]; others touch upon historical themes (“O tym nie usłyszysz na lekcji historii” [“You won’t hear about this in history class”]); and still others imitate internet culture (“Soczyste Memy” [“Juicy Memes”]). As of early April 2020, these 51 Pages had received 1.97 million combined Page likes, published nearly 3 million posts (as we describe below, a great many of these were duplicates), and, from the beginning of 2019 onward, received over 14 million interactions (likes, comments, and shares). For comparison, the far-right “Pantarhei” network we described in our last post had roughly 564,000 followers and received roughly 888,000 interactions over the same period.

Two major features link these 51 Pages together and distinguish them as a network: 1) a particular pattern of Page manager locations and 2) high levels of coordinated posting.

The Page Administrator pattern for these Pages is remarkably consistent. Most of the Pages fit one of two patterns: they have between 40 and 50 managers in Poland and 1 in the Netherlands, or between 10 and 15 managers in Poland.

page transparency for jestem dumny, ze jestem polakiem

In addition, the Pages in this network show a high degree of coordinated behavior. Although there is no visible connection between the Pages—a visitor who happened to come across one of them would have no indication that she was seeing one node in a network—they often posted the same content simultaneously multiple times per day. In this way, a single article could appear “spontaneously” on up to 51 purportedly independent Pages at precisely the same time. At the network level, the spam-like quality of this kind of coordination is clear:

A coronavirus-related Post appearing across Pages in the Netherlands network. Almost all of these posts were published on March 26 at 1:35 CEST.

A coronavirus-related Post appearing across Pages in the Netherlands network. Almost all of these posts were published on March 26 at 1:35 CEST. A coronavirus-related Post appearing across Pages in the Netherlands network. Almost all of these posts were published on March 26 at 1:35 CEST.

This was not a one-off tactic or an incidental part of the network’s activity. Out of 299,879 posts published between May 2018 and April 2020, 254,404 were links that appeared more than once in this period. While this appears to be a tactic the network used from the beginning, there was a significant increase in coordinated posting in early 2020:

Beginning in January 2020, the Pages began showing greater coordination—the operators of the network often posted more than ten links per day simultaneously to 40 or more Pages.

Beginning in January 2020, the Pages began showing greater coordination—the operators of the network often posted more than ten links per day simultaneously to 40 or more Pages. Beginning in January 2020, the Pages began showing greater coordination—the operators of the network often posted more than ten links per day simultaneously to 40 or more Pages.

With 51 Pages posting many times per day, the figures add up fast: from January to April 2020, the network published almost 40,000 posts that were shared more than 30 times across the Pages. At its peak, on February 6, 14 articles were posted simultaneously to 50 or more Pages, resulting in 708 posts for a mere 14 articles. While it might not be visible to the unsuspecting visitor, this kind of coordinated posting is a straightforward technique to amplify content: because each link is shared across up to 51 Pages, it has a greater chance of appearing in users’ feeds—and thus enticing them to click on it. Like the “Prawicowy” and “CrowdMedia” networks, the “Netherlands” network appears to have been primarily interested in driving users to its webpages, where it could earn money by showing them ads. The websites used by the operators of the network for this purpose have changed over time:

From May 2018 to April 2020 the network sent users primarily to five sites, alternating between wlocie.pl, hnews.pl, nczas.com, w-locie.pl, and propublico24.pl.

From May 2018 to April 2020 the network sent users primarily to five sites, alternating between wlocie.pl, hnews.pl, nczas.com, w-locie.pl, and propublico24.pl. From May 2018 to April 2020 the network sent users primarily to five sites, alternating between wlocie.pl, hnews.pl, nczas.com, w-locie.pl, and propublico24.pl.

The website nczas.com is something of an exception in this list, as it is the web version of Najwyższy Czas!, a weekly with links to Janusz Korwin-Mikke and the Confederation party. The others belong to a type frequently encountered in these kinds of networks: content aggregators that repackage, with scant or no attribution, articles from other websites and present them as their own. What these websites have in common in this case is the type of content they spread: incendiary articles of a far-right nature, with a large amount of clickbait mixed in. Many of them also appear in Anna Mierzyńska’s survey of Polish websites that funnel RT and Sputnik stories into the Polish media space.

The “Netherlands” network has another specific commercial dimension: its Pages consistently advertise “patriotic” clothing from the websites sklepfuria.pl and ultrapatriot.pl.

An ad for “patriotic” clothing on one of the “Netherlands” network Pages. This ad appeared simultaneously on more than 20 Pages.

An ad for “patriotic” clothing on one of the “Netherlands” network Pages. This ad appeared simultaneously on more than 20 Pages. An ad for “patriotic” clothing on one of the “Netherlands” network Pages. This ad appeared simultaneously on more than 20 Pages.

The “Netherlands” network is clearly a commercial project, designed to sell ads through clickbait and support clothing sales. But it also has a strong political dimension—although its politics can seem a bit ambivalent at times. There are a few themes about which the Pages are not ambivalent: they consistently post anti-immigrant, anti-EU, and anti-LGBT content:

An anti-LGBT post that appeared on 15 Pages in the network.

An anti-LGBT post that appeared on 15 Pages in the network. An anti-LGBT post that appeared on 15 Pages in the network.

With regard to the election, in particular, it is more difficult to discern which candidate these Pages are intended to support. (Their hostility towards the centrist and leftist candidates in the election is consistent.) Some of the content shared across the network—especially that from nczas.com—clearly favors the far-right candidate, Krzysztof Bosak.

A late 2019 post linking to an article on nczas.com promoting Bosak. “Krzysztof Bosak intellectually destroys Joanne Scheuring-Wielgus,” the article’s headline says.

A late 2019 post linking to an article on nczas.com promoting Bosak. The article's headline says “Krzysztof Bosak intellectually destroys Joanne Scheuring-Wielgus." A late 2019 post linking to an article on nczas.com promoting Bosak. The article's headline says “Krzysztof Bosak intellectually destroys Joanne Scheuring-Wielgus."

But other content, from wlocie.pl, in particular, favors Duda. And one of the polls such Pages conduct periodically to feel out their users’ stances suggests that the network’s users lean towards Duda:

An informal poll featured on a Page in the “Netherlands” network. Duda received 480 votes, and Bosak 423.

An informal poll featured on a Page in the “Netherlands” network. Duda received 480 votes, and Bosak 423. An informal poll featured on a Page in the “Netherlands” network. Duda received 480 votes, and Bosak 423.

The circumstances of the pandemic seem to have changed the network’s stance, in particular, since it has made no mention of Bosak’s petition to have the elections postponed. In this respect, the network operators seem to have decided on a tactic of “wait and see” in the case of PiS’s election plans. On the subject of the coronavirus, on the other hand, they have been eager to spread misinformation and crow at the impending downfall of the EU.