Intro to astroturfing in social media

June 13, 2020

The will of the people. This is arguably the most important element of a democracy--it's the force that gains signatures on petitions, motivates votes in ballot boxes, and calls crowds to the streets in protest or support. Grassroots movements inspire leaders and spark change in societies where it's most needed.

But some companies and organizations have started using the concept of grassroots movements for profit. This is called astroturfing.

Astroturfer organizations use fake personas—historically in journals and newspapers, but now increasingly in social media—to gain support for causes that suit their corporate or political interests.

Think about it: Are you more likely to support a movement you've seen supported by masses of people, or one with next to no followers? Astroturfers take advantage of the human instinct to follow a crowd, thereby creating many huge movements which people believe to have originated out of activists' ideas. To give you a better picture, here are a few examples of astroturf actions and movements:

• In 2007, British websites and public transport were covered in advertising and activism for an "Information Revolution". This movement was created by Ask.com, one of Google's business competitors, to derail Google search-engine success (Goldschein, Business Insider)

• In 2009 Bonner & Associates, a lobbying firm, said they were the NAACP in several documents sent to a congressperson asking him to vote against a clean energy bill (Goldschein, Business Insider)

• Many companies are now capable of using something called “persona management software” to make fake social media accounts who preach their ideologies, to sway the public’s opinion. These attempts are amplified by content algorithms that direct information to users who will like it, polarizing people in information bubbles.

• Russia’s social media interference with the 2016 American presidential election created fake accounts to show specific political content to users of platforms like YouTube and Facebook.

• Believe it or not, the anti-social-distancing movement currently sweeping through the United States is being supported by—and may have been started by—conservative organizations looking to increase their approval rates

Companies, governments, and other organizations use astroturfing shockingly frequently in their business strategies. It’s up to activists to stay informed, so we can fight for causes we really believe in. Grassroots movements are for the will of the people, not the will of a well-disguised for-profit organization.