In a recent study, it has been revealed that a significant number of social media accounts discussing the U.S. presidential election are fake. The report, shared with Reuters, highlights the extent of misinformation on the platform and its potential impact on public opinion.
What Happened: The study, conducted by Israeli tech company Cyabra, used machine learning to identify fake accounts. The report found that 15% of accounts supporting former President Donald Trump and criticizing President Joe Biden are fake. Similarly, 7% of accounts praising Biden and criticizing Trump are also fake, Reuters reported on Friday.
The study, based on a review of posts on the X platform (formerly Twitter) from Mar. 1, also revealed a tenfold increase in newly detected fake accounts during March and April. The report identified 12,391 inauthentic pro-Trump profiles out of a total of 94,363 and 803 inauthentic pro-Biden profiles out of 10,065.
Cyabra’s vice president, Rafi Mendelsohn, suggested that the level of coordination behind the fake pro-Trump accounts indicates a “nefarious objective” to influence public opinion.
Why It Matters: The proliferation of fake accounts on social media platforms has been a growing concern. Earlier in March, it was reported that Trump supporters were using AI-generated fake images to appeal to Black voters.
In April, it was revealed that Chinese agents were posing as Trump supporters on social media to spread misinformation about Biden.
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Photo by Leonard Zhukovsky and Trevor Bexon on Shutterstock
This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
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