View source for Cybernat

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
'''Cybernat''' is a term used in the [[media of the United Kingdom]] to refer to extremist online supporters of [[Scottish independence]] and the [[Scottish National Party]].<ref name = "cnn">{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/10/world/europe/scotland-independence-referendum-dark-side/ |title=Hecklers, hackers, tricks and trolls: Dark side of Scotland's independence debate |first1=Euan |last1=McKirdy |first2=Bryony |last2=Jones |work=CNN |date=10 September 2014 |access-date=19 June 2015}}</ref><ref name = "foulkes">{{cite web |url=http://news.stv.tv/politics/109455-cybernats-and-cyberbrits-how-do-they-affect-mainstream-political-debate/ |title=Cybernats and cyberbrits: How do they affect mainstream political debate? |work=stv.tv |publisher=STV |date=5 July 2012 |access-date=9 April 2014 |archive-date=13 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413144222/http://news.stv.tv/politics/109455-cybernats-and-cyberbrits-how-do-they-affect-mainstream-political-debate/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/9129998/Welcome-to-planet-Cybernat-where-the-air-is-toxic.html |title=Welcome to planet Cybernat where the air is toxic| newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |first=Alan |last=Cochrane|date=7 March 2012}}</ref>
The term was apparently coined by [[George Foulkes, Baron Foulkes of Cumnock|Lord Foulkes]] and was used by [[Scottish Labour]] leader [[Iain Gray]] in 2009.<ref name = "foulkes"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.glawest.org/labour-mp-calls-for-independence-supporters-to-be-barred-from-debates/ |title=Labour MP calls for independence supporters to be barred from debates |work=www.glawest.org |date=24 January 2014 |access-date=9 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413130148/http://www.glawest.org/labour-mp-calls-for-independence-supporters-to-be-barred-from-debates/ |archive-date=13 April 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8385075.stm |title=Parties demand Salmond holds blog smear inquiry |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=29 November 2009 |access-date=9 April 2014 |quote=Back in May I asked [[Alex Salmond]] to get a grip of these 'cyber nats' bloggers}}</ref> It gained greater prominence during 2013, after mainstream media sources reported that Sir [[Chris Hoy]] had been subject to online abuse for expressing his support for [[unionism in Scotland]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/geek-twerking-cybernat-among-words-of-the-year-1-3234374 |title=Geek, twerking & cybernat among words of the year |work=The Scotsman |access-date=9 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collinsdictionary.com/submission/12787/cybernat |title=cybernat: New Word Suggestion |work=www.collinsdictionary.com |publisher=Collins |access-date=10 April 2014}}</ref>
''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' reported in March 2014 that a retired soldier had received some abusive messages from Cybernats, after SNP politician [[Roseanna Cunningham]] posted a message on [[Twitter]] showing a letter from the soldier asking for donations to [[Better Together (campaign)|Better Together]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/10679203/General-accuses-SNP-minister-of-endangering-his-family-after-Cybernat-attack.html |title=General accuses SNP minister of endangering his family after 'Cybernat' attack |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=6 March 2014 |access-date=12 May 2014 |first=Simon |last=Johnson}}</ref> In June 2014, [[J.K. Rowling]] was subjected to online abuse by Cybernats after donating to Better Together and comparing Scottish Independence supporters to death eaters.<ref name = "cnn"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scottish-independence/10893567/JK-Rowling-subjected-to-Cybernat-abuse-after-1m-pro-UK-donation.html|title=JK Rowling subjected to Cybernat abuse after £1m pro-UK donation|date=11 June 2014|work=The Daily Telegraph}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2014-06-12 |title=Who, what, why: What does 'Death Eaterish' mean? |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-27803630 |access-date=2023-08-17 |quote="Harry Potter author JK Rowling has called some campaigners for Scottish independence "Death Eaterish". What does she mean, asks Justin Parkinson."}}</ref>
''[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]'' stated in February 2013 that: "The problem is not limited to the nationalist side of the referendum debate, with the [[Scottish National Party|SNP]] complaining of Unionist "unitrolls" spreading online abuse."<ref name = "silence">{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/yes-campaigners-launch-bid-to-silence-cybernats.20084686| newspaper=The Herald| title=Yes campaigners launch bid to silence cybernats |first=Magnus| last=Gardham |date=2 February 2013 |access-date=9 April 2014}}</ref> It also reported that the [[Yes Scotland]] campaign would monitor blog sites and Twitter in an attempt to police offensive comments by supporters of independence.<ref name = "silence"/> Christopher Stevenson, a British unionist and a fire safety technician from Glasgow, was convicted in August 2014 of behaving in a "threatening or abusive manner" for stating on Twitter that he "might assassinate [[Alex Salmond]]".<ref name = "cnn"/><ref name = "salmond joke">{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/crime-courts/twitter-troll-who-threatened-to-kill-salmond-as-joke-found-guilty-has-sentence-def.1409320802 |title=Twitter troll who threatened to kill Salmond as joke found guilty, has sentence deferred |work=The Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |date=29 August 2014 |access-date=19 June 2015}}</ref> Stevenson, who argued in court that his statement was meant as a joke, had sentence deferred for one year.<ref name = "cnn"/><ref name = "salmond joke"/>
During the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 UK general election]] campaign, Labour called on the SNP to disown their candidate for [[Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South]], Neil Hay, who had posted abusive comments on Twitter about Scottish unionists and elderly voters.<ref name = "hay smart">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-scotland-32433723 |title=Election 2015: Sturgeon condemns candidate Neil Hay tweets |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=23 April 2015 |access-date=24 April 2015}}</ref> [[Nicola Sturgeon]], the SNP leader, condemned the comments but also pointed out that a Labour activist, Ian Smart, had abused nationalists.<ref name = "hay smart"/> Labour subsequently suspended Smart from membership of the party.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/scottish-politics/labour-suspends-outspoken-blogger-ian-smart.128887618 |title=Labour suspends outspoken blogger Ian Smart |work=Sunday Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |date=14 June 2015 |access-date=18 June 2015 |first=Tom |last=Gordon}}</ref> [[Charles Kennedy]], former leader of the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]], was the target of on-line abuse during the campaign and immediately after the election.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/scotland/article1568566.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618070553/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/scotland/article1568566.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 June 2015|title=Abuse Kennedy suffered should spur Sturgeon to clean up the cybernats |author=Gillian Bowditch|work=The Sunday Times|publisher=News UK|date=14 June 2015|access-date=19 July 2015}} {{subscription required|date=June 2015}}</ref> One person who had posted comments directed at Kennedy using a personal Twitter account was identified as Brian Smith, an SNP constituency official; the party declared that his comments were inappropriate and Smith quickly resigned.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/snp-official-quits-over-charles-kennedy-online-abuse-1502640|title=SNP official quits over Charles Kennedy online abuse|date=12 June 2015|work=The Scotsman}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-33109453|title=Charles Kennedy: SNP activist quits over Twitter abuse|work=BBC News |date=12 June 2015}}</ref>
== Polling ==
After the referendum, a Panelbase poll for the [[Wings Over Scotland]] blog found that, in terms of online abuse specifically, 11% of those who had voted No had experienced online abuse compared to 20% of those who had voted Yes.<ref>{{Cite web|title = The abusers and the abused|url = http://wingsoverscotland.com/the-abusers-and-the-abused/|website = [[Wings Over Scotland]] |access-date = 29 January 2016|date=29 July 2015}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Wiktionary}}
[[Category:Internet-based activism]]
[[Category:Scottish independence]]
[[Category:Scottish National Party]]