Government Pays/Paid Social Media Trolls To Manipulate Opinion

W

WhatInThe

SF VIP
The government apparently has paid trolls trying to sway opinion on social media including internet forums. This is confirmation rather than a revelation in reality.

http://beforeitsnews.com/alternativ...uence-techniques-in-social-media-3179176.html

Not surprising. Corporate America and special interest groups are probably doing the same thing. Actually pretty easy to spot when you think about it. Think: something's out of place.

Also if you think you spotted a troll there some things you can do but be careful about over engaging because the message literally can get lost which is frequently the point.

https://www.ureka.org/reference/vie...-trolls-and-paid-agents-on-social-media-sites

I don't think we have too many professional trolls here but other forums and boards-pfffft.
 

Our PM when he was still Leader of the Opposition had a sudden surge in friends on Facebook.
A really big surge.

It was suggested that they were bought and paid for.
It happens.
 
Dame Warrigal said:
Our PM when he was still Leader of the Opposition had a sudden surge in friends on Facebook.
A really big surge.

It was suggested that they were bought and paid for.
It happens.
Click to expand...

Oh I'm sure there are a lot of friends and family backing a particular person in a story let alone supporting a point of view. Just like a letter writing campaign I think many organize or endorse a proactive social media campaign.

I'm just as worried about special interests and corporate America as the government. Keep in mind the troll is trying to steer the direction of an entire thread so it's not just about compliments or attacks on the opposition. Sometimes you have to think long term long haul. The big thing seems to be make the thread or opinion in question get lost in the shuffle.

I don't think it was a troll but we recently had the 9 page thread on this forum. A lot of thoughts got lost in the shear volume of posts
 

I've returned to your original links and I'm not sure what you are getting at.
Are you suggesting that government agencies are buying into our discussions at Senior Forums with nefarious purpose?

If you are, I'm not buying it. What would there be to gain?
 
Dame Warrigal said:
I've returned to your original links and I'm not sure what you are getting at.
Are you suggesting that government agencies are buying into our discussions at Senior Forums with nefarious purpose?

If you are, I'm not buying it. What would there be to gain?
Click to expand...

Not here but news sites with a lot of news and posters like reddit or topix. A lot of news stories/sites are linked to facebook & twitter among others. If you read the comments section on a news story you frequently see the trolls come out. It's not just the government it could be someone or organization with a vested interest in the person or subject who could be a friend or family.
 
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