Having volunteered to serve online as an “Active Citizen” for the Autonomous Republic of Cymru, I was first put through a series of tests implicitly designed so that the only way to complete them in the time given is to flag up every supposed border entrant who appears onscreen. After the training (and a flattering promotion), I logged on to watch Sarah [my FT partner Sarah Hemming] and the rest of her group board the train at Bristol.
    
It’s a rich enough multi-channel experience for the virtual participant. At any one moment, the screen could be occupied partly by real-time chat amongst the Active Citizens, live “molecam” video feeds from a couple of undercover agents on the train, a ticker feed of major developments and voting windows for us to decide what instructions to give the moles.
    
It soon became clear that my online colleagues had been equally conditioned into hardline responses, and that most of them were fervent. Sarah looked “definatly dodgy” [sic] according to one, simply for reading some notes; at another point, someone questioned, “Why is money changing hands?”, and I had to point out that that was exactly what we’d just voted to get the mole to do.
    
Having been gently steered towards identifying the right suspect (frankly, a 2015 date of birth was a bit of a giveaway), we watched as the entrants disembarked at Newport and were interrogated at “border control” before a few (possibly actors) were detained. Focus then switched to an interrogation and detention centre, where our number one suspect was clapped in a cell and given the third degree. Our final vote was whether to release her, detain her for further questioning or summarily execute her; I’m relieved to say that “Execute” polled lowest, though still a significant 15%. Finally, we were streamed a real-life testimony (one: too few, and too brief) from a man detained at the UK border because his having a job was suspicious. The interactivity is well structured, but I fear the intended lesson may be washed away in the enthusiasm of vigilante gaming.
     
Written for the Financial Times.