Title: Social Media Users Paid Thousands to Spread Election Misinformation
Some users on a popular social media platform are reportedly being paid “thousands of dollars” to share content that includes election misinformation, AI-generated images, and unfounded conspiracy theories. The BBC has identified networks of accounts that collaborate to boost their reach and revenue on the site by sharing a mix of true, false, and faked material.
These users claim to earn from a couple of hundred to thousands of dollars by coordinating the sharing of each other’s posts on forums and group chats. The content shared by these networks supports various political figures, including Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, and some profiles have been contacted by US politicians seeking supportive posts.
The social media platform recently changed its rules to calculate payments based on engagement from premium users rather than the number of ads under posts. This has raised concerns about incentivizing users to post provocative claims, whether true or not, during a sensitive time for US politics.
Some users, like Freedom Uncut and Brown Eyed Susan, have shared their experiences of making money through the platform by posting controversial content in support of their preferred candidates. They claim that provocative and sensationalist content tends to garner the most views and engagement.
Despite efforts by the platform to label manipulated media and crowdsource fact-checking, concerns remain about the impact of false claims on the election. The platform’s response to such content during the UK election differed from its actions during the US election campaign, raising questions about the platform’s role in shaping political discourse.
As voters head to the polls, the influence of social media platforms like this one on the election outcome remains a topic of concern and scrutiny.
