Sock puppet account:
A sock puppet, sock puppet account, or simply sock[,] is a false online identity used for deceptive purposes.[1] The term originally referred to a hand puppet made from a sock. Sock puppets include online identities created to praise, defend, or support a person or organization,[2] to manipulate public opinion,[3] or to circumvent restrictions such as viewing a social media account that a user is blocked from. Sock puppets are unwelcome in many online communities and forums. [Wikipedia]
As political and financial objectives supersede simple honesty, it’s difficult to tell readers that they shouldn’t use social media for their news.
But you shouldn’t.
I’m contemplating a post concerning the corruption that is pervading society; while Fox News has a decades-old reputation for misleading their audience, more recently the failures to reveal the failing nature of President Biden’s cognition has left mainstream and left-wing media similarly disgraced.
So what to do? Use multiple sources; think carefully about who can manipulate a given source, such as social media account.
And read the below.
Socket puppet account noted in “Is Your Favorite Influencer’s Opinion Bought and Sold?“, Lee Fang:
There was a momentary push in 2017 for stricter social media disclosures in the political realm. The discovery of foreign influence campaigns aimed at the 2016 presidential election set off alarm bells. As a result, the major tech platforms began working to track and close so-called sock puppet accounts operated by the Russian and Chinese government. Yet few reforms were institutionalized, and as more and more Americans get their news from social media, the problem remains largely unchecked.
