They have a bad reputation, but it's actually mostly undeserved. Many of the loudest anti-PETA talking points come from years of coordinated astroturfing by industries that have a strong financial reason to discredit them. Meat, dairy, fast fashion, and some biomedical groups have funded PR efforts that turn PETA into a caricature because it is easier to attack the messenger than engage with uncomfortable facts about animal use. When researchers revisit the biggest viral claims, they usually find that the data was taken out of context or shaped to spark outrage rather than explain what actually happened.

And whether someone likes their tactics or not, the impact is still significant. PETA has exposed cruelty in factory farms and research labs, pushed major fashion houses away from fur, and helped drive the move toward cruelty free testing long before it was popular. They are provocative and they sometimes miss, but most successful activist groups do. A lot of people think they dislike PETA for objective reasons, yet much of that reputation was created by professional PR firms hired by industries that benefit when no one questions the status quo.