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.

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    17 months ago

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

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      17 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.