Is anyone surprised there are millions of fake Twitter accounts?
Jan 30, 2018, 6:13 AM
(File, Associated Press)
(File, Associated Press)
A major expose in The New York Times that took four reporters to write reveals that millions of Twitter followers are fake.
The Times estimated there may be as many as 48 million bogus Twitter accounts set up just to fake-follow people. One company alone created 3.5 million phony accounts that generated around 200 million fake follows.
I know. It’s hard to believe there is fake stuff on the internet.
But it’s actually very easy to believe because it turns out if you can get enough people to follow you, advertisers will pay you to mention them in your Twitter feed!
So if the raw brilliance of your Tweets has failed to attract an audience, the going rate is $2,000 to buy 300,000 fake but very loyal followers! Actors have done it, politicians have done it. The Times even found that one of its own freelance journalists has done it.
That prompted me to wonder if this was really worth an expose? We all know that popularity is the new cocaine. Is it surprising people would figure out a way to abuse it?
If buying an audience of cardboard cutouts for your one-man show makes you feel like a star, why not?
The applause may not be deafening, but at least nobody walks out.
By the way, I’m perfectly happy with my 2,600 Twitter followers. By which I mean 2,570, just in case the Times fact checker is listening.
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