Author: Virginia Murr

Beyond exposing bots, patterns also help to identify fake Twitter account distributors responsible for spreading fake account networks across Twitter.

The Twitter Bot Mother Lode is a super botnet comprised of a variety of bots that span the globe and are systematically created daily.

We previously reported on a Twitter account housing over 60,000 Russian-English bots. Since Twitter hasn’t suspended the account, we’ve tracked its network.

Despite the evidence available early-on to the public, the Russian hack was manipulated into a narrative that condemned the DNC, Hillary, and those associated with the Clinton campaign.

With fake social media accounts at the heart of the cyber-war against us, why haven’t we stopped them?

Here’s how just one person can run dozens of fake, extremist accounts on many social media platforms.

As with previous military actions in the age of Social Media, Turkey’s assault on US Allies in Syria is being boosted on Twitter.

We often read about groups of international Twitter bots and trolls after they’ve been suspended, making it hard to grasp the scope of the global botnets.

Those who run fake Twitter accounts have been developing their strategy for years. Thus, the sophistication of these accounts would surprise most people.

Knowing that Russia is still actively attacking us via cyber-war, I have to wonder how Twitter’s fancy algorithms haven’t removed these fake Russian accounts.

Bots and trolls often use accounts they’ve purchased or hacked. For this reason, social media platforms should delete dormant accounts.

Bot creators try to individualize their bot accounts to make them seem more realistic, including giving them occupations such as nurse, doctor, and surgeon.

Some accounts that distribute Twitter bots are following hundreds (sometimes thousands) of locked bot and troll accounts in a row.

It’s the irony of all ironies. Twitter is infested with fake Facebook accounts. Some of the accounts are impersonators and all appear to be scammers.

fake Twitter account groups have distinct, discernible patterns. And those patterns are their Achilles’ Heel.

The variety of fake military Twitter accounts is as astounding as it is endless. And many of them serve to amplify political rhetoric (on all sides).

One of the few commonalities between fake political and fake commercial accounts is that both are a practice in deception.

Twitter bots quick-change to suit the purpose of the bot creators. How does Twitter, with its fancy algorithms, miss this type of activity on the platform?

There are endless Twitter accounts using Publisher’s Clearing house in their profile descriptions. Are they impostor accounts or commercial bots?

Th UK Information Commission’s “Investigation into the use of data analytics in political campaigns” leaves us many clues about how U.S. citizen data was likely used and abused.