Probe finds 10 X accounts have posted 60k times and have ‘huge influence’ on General Election

16 comments

1. A new study has found that posts from just 10 “bot-like” X accounts spreading disinformation and hate have been viewed more than 150 million times ahead of the UK General Election. The accounts in question have shared more than 60,000 posts on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, since May 22, with those posts estimated to have been seen 150 million times, an investigation by non-governmental organisation (NGO) Global Witness found.

   Many of the posts from these 10 prolific accounts contain “extreme and violent” hate speech, disinformation, conspiracy theories and praise Russian President Vladimir Putin, the organisation said. It found that posts amplified by these bot-like accounts have spread Islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia and transphobia, state that climate change is a “hoax”, that vaccines have created a “genocide”, and that Putin is “the greatest president ever”.

2. Aren’t the only *readers* on Twitter bots at this point?

3. It only has an influence on the election because its only reporters are using it a valid source still.

4. I mean all social media has this issue.

   Reddit is filled with 289 day old accounts or super ancient accounts which suddenly spring into action and post super controversial crap.

   Or post links to “news” outlets with questionable ethics. It’s no fucking wonder peoples attitudes are messed up with this mass propaganda shite traffic going on.

5. Check reddit next, including this sub, and subs like worldnews – they’re filled with them.

   It’s disappointing but not surprising that Elon musk reddit usually push those accounts and subs too. Not even simply refusing to do anything about them, but actually promoting them.

   Feels like the EU is sleeping on this.

6. Alright, my bad, I get bored at work and like to tweet. I’ll try and slow it down, no need to make national news out of it 🙄

7. Every single political party and nation state does this, is it really that much of a shock to people that social media is being used for the purpose it has been deliberately engineered for.

8. No one gives a fuck about Twitter anymore, it’s amusing to read as a right-wing cesspit, but it isn’t influencing shit.

9. I am so done with social media. Let the bots have it all. I’m going back to the wireless for news and the hairdresser for gossip.

10. This means Reform and/or the Workers Party are going to win seats so the ground is being prepared for an post-election authoritarian crackdown to “protect democracy”

11. They’re all over Reddit as well, but the moderators of this sub have made it clear that it’s a violation of the rules to call out obvious bad faith sock puppets because that’s “attacking the Redditor” so 🤷

12. I thought Musk bought twitter partly to eliminate the bots?

13. the way certain political parties were forced onto my timeline, is why I gave up on X.

    Anyone treating X as an unbiased news source needs their heads checking

14. Good thing Twitter is only used by Daily Mail and PinkNews readers…

15. I doubt it will have that great of an impact, only a tiny % have a Twitter account, actually use it and will have their opinions changed. Most of the other interactions are probably other bots as well.

16. They never had an issue when it was governments making bot posts.