Twitter eliminates 256 controlled by the PP for manipulation of information

More than 250 false Twitter accounts of the Popular Party were closed to try to increase the impact on the social network, violating the policies of the social network.

Social networks are a source of information and misinformation at the same time. Quite some time ago, the Popular Party (PP) was investigated for creating web pages to spread misinformation. Now the social network Twitter has eliminated no less than 259 created between February and March of this year managed by the PP. The social network in a press release says: “after identifying that, artificially, it boosted public opinion in Spain.

These accounts are created to try to 'sell' ideas or manipulate the level of interaction. A bad practice that has been used with the intention of improving the image of the party. All these accounts are managed by social media teams in a perfectly coordinated strategy.

Facebook has blocked 65 accounts and Instagram 35 accounts

Political manipulation through social media

According to the social network, these profiles "were active for a relatively short period, and consisted mainly of fake accounts with 'spam' behavior or that made 'retweets' to increase interaction"

Most of these accounts did not have a significant number of followers, only two had more than 600 followers. These accounts basically served to increase the impact on social networks and generate false likes and retweets. It also fostered the generation of comments in favor of the party.

Twitter says that this measure corresponds to their platform manipulation policy. They assure from the social network that this precept has not been respected. The PP has reacted to the scandal, highlighting that "it has never created false accounts" and that the operation would respond to what "network users can do, who, under their responsibility, interact with the accounts" of the party.

"The PP has never created false accounts because it considers that the real effectiveness in the networks materializes with the real volunteers and their own accounts," they say from the party. Note that the information from Twitter highlights that the accounts are directly operated by the party.