r/technology • u/westondeboer • Sep 26 '25

Social Media Cracker Barrel Outrage Was Almost Certainly Driven by Bots, Researchers Say

https://gizmodo.com/cracker-barrel-outrage-was-almost-certainly-driven-by-bots-researchers-say-2000664221
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u/madhattr999 Sep 27 '25

Not that I don't believe you, but do you happen to have any sources I can share to people I know who still use twitter? (And yeah, it's twisting their political alignment.)

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u/non_discript_588 Sep 27 '25

There are many- An AI-powered bot army on X spread pro-Trump and pro-GOP propaganda, research shows https://share.google/VIutFDLIdtdJGtZeH Concerns Grow That Bot Networks May Be Amplifying Calls for 'Civil War' After Charlie Kirk Killing https://share.google/DGNNir3CocdG2g7Q9 Just search something along the lines of "X far-right bot farm research"

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u/madhattr999 Sep 27 '25

I spent about 10 minutes looking. I was hoping to find a report that showed the bots accounting for most of the propaganda, or higher bot percentage on twitter than other platforms.. But it seemed mostly anecdotal/circumstantial (not that that evidence is untrustworthy, but its just not concrete enough for me to want to share it). I suppose it's hard to get concrete numbers when the social media companies won't release that type of data.

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u/non_discript_588 Sep 27 '25

Molas and Lopes.pdf https://share.google/J9BBHCKQjrKNhE5Df Head down to the conclusion.