Citation: Loveluck, B. (2020), “The many shades of digital vigilantism. A typology of online self-justice”, Global Crime vol. 21 n° 3-4, pp. 213-241 The many shades of digital vigilantism. A typology of online self-justice Benjamin Loveluck, i3-SES, Telecom Paris Abstract Digital vigilantism involves direct online actions of targeted surveillance, dissuasion or punishment which tend to rely on public denunciation or on an excess of unsolicited attention, and are carried out in the name of justice, order or safety. Drawing on a diversity of case studies, this article seeks to provide a comprehensive picture of its manifestations, addressing both the social practices and digital media dynamics involved. It presents a typology which distinguishes between four ideal types of digital vigilantism: flagging, investigating, hounding, and organised leaking. Keywords: Digital vigilantism; Surveillance; Online denunciation; Typology Introduction The internet has long been presented as encouraging participation, a more active and decentralized public sphere, and an autonomous space of citizen power, premised on a fairly civil understanding of democracy 1 . It has also been hailed as the triumph of ‘mass self- communication’ in the service of political progress 2 . However, as recent developments have made clear, it is also the place of messier and more problematic forms of engagement. This is increasingly obvious since hate speech, discrimination and harassment have been shown