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We research this stuff - a lot of nation-state and financed activity is farms of low-paid people assisted by software running multiple and shared accounts. Misi
by lmeyerov 6y ago
We research this stuff - a lot of nation-state and financed activity is farms of low-paid people assisted by software running multiple and shared accounts. Misinfo analysts (including ML tools) can suspect this bc the accounts clock in & clock out and follow a talking points script. Except bc a low paid person is adding a human touch, account abuse teams see it and do nothing due to uncertainty, despite being against TOS.
Sometimes it is more obvious. People had MAGA campaign apps that lets Trump's team remotely activate otherwise-legit social media accounts. So the account is real, but popular messages were bot behavior. Twitter is even less likely to want to take down such an account, despite the prohibited behavior.
- Balgair 6y agoI'm reminded of the quote: "There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists" - Ascribed to an unnamed Yosemite Park Ranger. The quote may never really have happened, but I think it fits here. If the people are intentionally acting as bots per the direction of other people, then what does that make the people acting as bots?