Definition of organized harassment

Organized harassment—also called network harassment or “gangstalking”—refers to a set of coordinated, repeated practices intended to intimidate, isolate, destabilize or control a person.

It is not a simple conflict, but a systematic process that involves multiple actors or technical means over time.

Key techniques

  • Surveillance :

    Physical following, electronic surveillance, hacking of computers and phones, wiretapping of communications, and monitoring of all online activities.

  • Defamation :

    Spreading rumors, baseless accusations of crime, fabricating discrediting materials and distributing them to third parties.

  • Profiling :

    Collecting personal information—often via close contacts or partners—to identify weaknesses and insecurities that can be exploited later.

  • Conditioning :

    Sensitizing the target to repeated stimuli (coughs, hand gestures, clothing colors, car headlights/‘brighting’) to push self‑policing and associate these signals with persecution.

  • Anchoring :

    Providing false rationales to muddy the waters and keep the target in a cycle of confusion, doubt and fear.

  • Stalking & workplace mobbing :

    Overt displays of people following or addressing the target with conditioned words or signals. Intrusions and harassment via these stimuli at the workplace.

  • Street theatre :

    Staged scenarios by groups (fake confrontations, simulated conversations) to test and manipulate the target’s reactions.

  • Sound harassment :

    Directed projection of sound toward the home (e.g., directional speakers/V2K, ultrasound) and other intrusive methods to transmit sound at a distance, disrupting daily life and privacy.

  • Noise campaigns :

    Organized abnormal noise around the home (cars accelerating, trucks, shouting, loud conversations, directional speakers) to exhaust the target.

  • Sleep deprivation :

    Multiple awakenings each night, preventing rest and inducing irritability, poor concentration, isolation and loss of credibility.

  • Baiting and entrapment :

    Provoking the target into an unlawful or compromising act (violence, vandalism, infidelity, drug use) which is later used against them.

  • Intrusions (‘black bag jobs’) :

    Covert break‑ins to move or plant objects, sowing fear and constant doubt.

  • Propaganda and disinformation :

    Creating content or sites to discredit victims, equate them with mental illness and infiltrate support spaces to sabotage them.

  • Systematic discrediting :

    Harassment designed to mimic psychiatric disorders so that any attempt to report it is rejected or turned against the victim.