Jordan van den Berg's vigilante-style approach has won him fans and critics amid a housing crisis.

Three years ago, lawyer Jordan van den Berg was an obscure TikTok creator who made videos that mocked real estate agents.

But today the 28-year-old is one of the most high-profile activists in Australia.

Posting under the moniker Purple Pingers, Mr van den Berg has been taking on the nation’s housing crisis by highlighting shocking renting conditions, poor behaviour from landlords, and what he calls government failures.

It is his vigilante-style approach - which includes helping people find vacant homes to squat in, and exposing bad rentals in a public database - that has won over a legion of fans.

Some have dubbed him the Robin Hood of renters.

  • Killing_Spark@feddit.deEnglish
    172·
    8 months ago

    How is this stealing? At most it’s prohibiting passive income on capital investment.

    • mke_geek@lemm.eeEnglish
      14·
      8 months ago

      Stealing is taking someone’s property without permission. That’s what squatting is. By encouraging squatting, this person is encouraging stealing and that makes them an awful person.

      • Killing_Spark@feddit.deEnglish
        41·
        8 months ago

        Squatting is not “taking property” especially if the property in question is vacant. The property is still there and will stay there when the squatters leave.

        • mke_geek@lemm.eeEnglish
          13·
          8 months ago

          It’s very much stealing property. The same way a crime is committed when someone is raped. The victim still has their body afterwards, but a crime has been committed.

          • CileTheSane@lemmy.caEnglish
            1·
            8 months ago

            Theft is a crime but not all crimes are theft. If I punch you in the face that isn’t theft. The only way someone could consider rape to be theft is if they considered women to be property.

          • Killing_Spark@feddit.deEnglish
            21·
            8 months ago

            That’s the weirdest comparison I’ve seen yet. Yes rape is rape and rape is a crime but rape is not stealing. I really don’t see the point you are trying to make.

            • mke_geek@lemm.eeEnglish
              11·
              8 months ago

              Rape is stealing as well. You’re taking something from someone they didn’t freely give you.

              My point is that stealing is bad and shouldn’t be encouraged.

              • Killing_Spark@feddit.deEnglish
                21·
                8 months ago

                No what the fuck. Rape is literally not taking something from someone. Rape is taking control over someone abusing some kind of power be it physical or nonphysical and forcing them into sexual activities.

                Both are bad, rape is considerably worse, and I think I’m done arguing with your bs

                • CoolMatt@lemmy.caEnglish
                  1·
                  8 months ago

                  Just gonna play devils advocate and say they both involve entering without permission…

                  • Killing_Spark@feddit.deEnglish
                    1·
                    8 months ago

                    I know this is supposed to be a joke but I’m in a pedantic mood: That’s not strictly correct. Theft is possible when you enter with consent and rape is possible without entering at all.