This reality show confronts online trolls in real life

Trolljägarna (Troll Hunter) is a Swedish reality TV show that hunts down and confronts online harassers in real life.

It's hosted by investigative journalist Robert Aschberg, who actively confronts online abusers as they leave work, or finds them outside their homes.

CBC radio's Q has just posted an interview with Aschberg, discussing the show. "How extreme does the hatred have to get?" Q guest host Candy Palmater asked Aschberg. "We don't go after people who just joke with other guys... we're talking really hate here," Aschberg responded. "People who keep on harassing other people, or people who threaten other people." They go on to discuss the political and racial nature of much of the hate spewed at people — especially women — online, and Aschberg's tactics on the series.

The show also contains an interview with tech journalist Adrian Chen, who has written about the show previously, discussing the ethics of such a program.

It's a fascinating interview, and an even more interesting concept, given the pervasive, tricky nature of online harassment. There's an aspect of this that feels almost like vigilante justice, in a world where the existing criminal justice policies have been slow to deal with the problem.

Given the online harassment problem in gaming, I wonder if any American TV producers are taking notice.