A new report has revealed growing levels of disinformation and harassment targeting local elected representatives, raising concerns about impacts on democratic participation and council decision-making.
The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV), in partnership with the Australian National University (ANU) and the German Marshall Fund (GMF), has released research examining the scale and implications of coordinated online abuse and information manipulation affecting local leaders.
The report finds that harassment is increasingly enabled by digital platforms and emerging technologies, including social media amplification, bot networks and AI-generated content such as deepfakes. These tools are contributing to a rise in both the volume and reach of harmful material targeting councillors.
MAV President, Jennifer Anderson, said the findings reflect what councils are experiencing across Victoria.
“Targeted disinformation and harassment are no longer isolated incidents, but a growing systemic challenge for local democracy,” Anderson said.
“Locally elected representatives are often managing these hostilities, and the impacts have real-life consequences for democratic representation and effective local decision-making.”
The research identifies that harassment is most prevalent in highly polarised policy areas, including climate action, migration, and gender and sexuality, with organised campaigns increasingly challenging the legitimacy of councils.
MAV Chief Executive Officer, Kelly Grigsby, said the impacts extend beyond individual councillors.
“When local leaders withdraw from public engagement because of sustained abuse or disinformation, communities lose diverse voices and fewer people are willing to nominate for council,” Grigsby said.
“This undermines trust, weakens local services and creates space for anti-government agendas to gain traction.”
The report also finds that existing legal and regulatory protections are often insufficient or too slow to respond to incidents, and calls for a more coordinated, system-wide response addressing the broader drivers of online harm.
Released through the Resilient Democracy Data and Research Network, the findings will inform MAV’s ongoing advocacy to support safer council workplaces and stronger community cohesion.
“Local government is the closest level of government to the community. Protecting those who serve is fundamental to protecting democratic participation,” Anderson said.
The full research paper, Information Manipulation and Harassment of Local Leaders: Impacts and Implications, is available here.
