Troll farms require a lot of poo
Hundreds of Russian and Chinese state propaganda accounts are thriving on Twitter after Elon Musk wiped out the team that fought these networks, the BBC has found.
The unit worked to combat “information operations”, coordinated campaigns by countries such as Russia, China, and Iran, made to influence public opinion and disrupt democracy.
But experts and former employees say the majority of these specialists resigned or were laid off, leaving the platform vulnerable to foreign manipulation.
But now they’re gone.
Oh well. I’m sure Russia, China and Iran want only what’s best for everyone.
We approached Twitter for comment but received no response other than a poo emoji – the standard auto-reply from the company to any press enquiry.
Russia-China-Iran-Trump on one side of us, cooking planet on the other. A poo emoji is about right.
And so adult, too!
I tell my students when we talk about the dung beetle that they cannot use the word “poo” on the test. I’m teaching college, not kindergarten.
But look at the volume of traffic! And the engagement! Who cares if it’s true?