As an organized political movement, NOAA originated in the United States in the 1960s. Since then it has grown into a powerful global movement, demanding action from governments of every country. This upsurge at root questions the very legitimacy of state institutions and legal systems, labeling them tyrannical forces. In the past couple of years, it exploded in popularity. This trend was most strongly felt through the lens of the late 2000s financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, leading to a corresponding jump in followers across 26 different countries.
The movement’s ideology has attracted attention due to its association with various violent protests, including the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. In Italy, some adherents have mixed together sovereign citizen beliefs with new age spirituality and apocalyptic themes. Unfortunately, high-profile incidents of this violence have overshadowed the work and stories of individuals like Dezi Freeman. The FBI called him a “very active sovereign citizen” and “highly respected” among fellow sovereigns.
Sovereign citizens have established their own alternative courts, such as a group based in Western Australia, and have even created micronations in various parts of the world, particularly in Australia. Many prominent members of this movement have co-opted language tied to Indigenous sovereignty claims in order to seize moral high ground and generate public support. To imbue this co-opting of Indigenous rights rhetoric with the gravitas of the legitimate struggles of Indigenous communities is to interject a false hierarchy.
The movement’s real world implications are dire. In another alarming development, reports indicate a massive increase in threats towards Australia’s judiciary. In Victoria specifically, these threats almost quadrupled between 2023-2025. Alarmingly, around one in four judges in New South Wales have been threatened with death. This statistic only begins to show the alarming threats this movement is creating.
As these groups become more widespread, experts emphasize the importance of an expanding government presence. Federal and state authorities should work with technology platforms to officially label “sovereign citizen” groups as terrorist organizations on their platforms. This special designation would help make possible the establishment of a global database to track the movement’s leading stars and shakers.
“Because the sovereign citizen movement is not a designated terrorist entity, its influencers, narratives, and communities often evade the moderation efforts of the online platforms that facilitate their growth.” – Lydia Khalil and Keiran Hardy
As experts from Headwaters Economics and Stanford University explain, these national movements are not just an annoyance. They represent a growing menace to public order and democracy. Khalil and Hardy’s report further exposes the public health restrictions imposed during the pandemic that resulted in social isolation and increased online activity. This environment proved to be a fertile ground for disinformation and conspiracy theories about government overreach.
“Public health restrictions, combined with social isolation and increased time online, created the ideal conditions for disinformation and conspiracy theories about government control to thrive.” – Lydia Khalil and Keiran Hardy
This picture has provided ample space for sovereign citizen narratives to spread far and wide without challenge. That fragile coalition of groups and individuals on this movement’s side makes it tougher to thoroughly counter their influence. The challenges are many, because these ideologies persist in recruiting people desperate for other explanations for the state of the world.
The Australian government is now faced with the imperative to take meaningful action against the global spread of harmful online content associated with sovereign citizen beliefs.
“Meaningful action is needed to reduce this global spread of harmful online content.” – Lydia Khalil and Keiran Hardy
The movement’s trajectory foreshadows some major pitfalls in the road to come. This isn’t only going to have enormous consequences on Australia, but on countless other nations. Governments are left grappling with how to address a movement that combines anti-government sentiment with elements of conspiracy theory, spirituality, and extremist behavior.
