On social media sites, intense competition exists for people’s minds. As the U.S. presidential election looms, a disturbing trend has emerged, with problems such as the widespread number of fake accounts on X, which was previously referred to as Twitter. These accounts are deliberately amplifying certain narratives that tilt the scale in favor of one candidate against the other. Here we are talking about, According to a study, fake accounts relating to US election on X.
Here we are talking about, According to a study, fake accounts relating to US election on X:
The Cyabra Report
Cyabra, an Israeli tech company, has examined messages in X for two months from March 1. The findings:
- 15% of Pro-Trump Accounts Are Fake: Cyabra noted that the application found many fake accounts expressing positive sentiments towards the ex-president of the United States, Donald Trump, and negative feelings towards the current president, Joseph Biden. These fake accounts are not standalone; they are used to manipulate the public.
- 7% of Pro-Biden Accounts Are Fake: There is evidence of fake news on accounts promoting Biden and negatively referring to Trump. However, some do not seem as coordinated as the pro-Trump ones or belong to any particular campaign.
Pro-Trump Accounts
The fake pro-Trump accounts push two main messages. These accounts directly encourage voter support for Trump and his campaign. The narrative here is simple: paint Biden as destructive to America. The coordination of these accounts indicated a wrong intention. Other signs of a coordinated campaign can be observed such as using the same hashtags, posting at the same time, and sending out identical messages.
Pro-Biden Accounts
While the pro-Biden fake accounts do exist, they are not as coordinated as the other side. They certainly do not appear to fit the mold of a coordinated effort. But at the same time, they appear to be mere isolated instances.
Echoes of 2016
Social media platforms, which include X, have been under criticism, especially after the 2016 U.S. presidential election. At that time, Russia intervened through the amplification of fake news to promote Trump and demote Clinton. As it is getting closer to the November 5 election, both election officials and people who study fake news online are concerned.
The Impact
The presence of fake accounts is becoming a severe problem, as they can distort the discourse and public opinion. The audience might be exposed to some biasing information and that may influence them. The coordinated campaign plans to take advantage of this weakness.
Conclusion
As X continues to grapple with the challenge of fake accounts, the question remains: Who is behind this campaign? Although the report has not mentioned any particular person or group, there are effects detectable. Whenever there is much content being posted, it becomes very important to distinguish which is real and which is fake news. Therefore, as voters, we should be alert and ensure we get our information from the right sources.
