The New York Times actually names names in this article about the celebrities and so-called "influencers" who purchase followers for their social accounts. There is a very disturbing underbelly to the business of how bots are created.

Also, there are some names that you are sure to recognize unfortunately.

 

The Follower Factory

Oh dear. Sonja Morgan is not surprising at all. Nor is Clay Aiken or Paul Hollywood. Surprised about Vanessa Marcil, though.

32 minutes ago, Faulkner said:

Surprised about Vanessa Marcil, though.

 

Not I, lol.  I always suspected her popularity (on Twitter and elsewhere) was overinflated. 

Disturbing. 😨

Here's a followup to the original NYT story.  That map is kind of frightening.

 

Twitter Followers Vanish Amid Inquiries Into Fake Accounts

 

The good news is that Sean Hannity lost 300,000 Twitter followers overnight!

Edited February 1, 20187 yr by DramatistDreamer

40 minutes ago, DramatistDreamer said:

The good news is that Sean Hannity lost 300,000 Twitter followers overnight!

 

It'd be even better, though, if he had NO followers.  That man truly makes my teeth itch.