Astroturfing

From the IFTAS Moderator Library, supporting Fediverse trust & safety

Updated on 2024-03-27

Definition

Organized activity intended to create the deceptive appearance of broad, authentic grassroots support or opposition to a given cause or organization, when in reality the activity is being motivated, funded or coordinated by a single or small number of obscured sources.

Background

Moderators can spot this activity by noticing unusually coordinated behavior or repetitive messaging across different accounts. However, caution is needed, genuine campaigns or widespread community responses can sometimes appear similar to astroturfing.

Example Rule

Fabricating the illusion of widespread support or consensus (“astroturfing”) through multiple accounts or coordinated actions is not allowed.

Discussion

Discuss this label in the Astroturfing forum.

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