I'd love to see HN or Reddit or someone work with the feds on how to investigate and prosecute astroturfing/sockpuppets/shilling, perhaps as unauthorized computer access and/or fraud.

Except it's not really unauthorized access if the owner of the account allows you to publish in his/her name, is it?

I suspect lawyers could figure out the ToS so that it is.

That wouldn’t be “criminal” — a TOS violation isn’t “prosecuted” as its civil. And, the aggrieved party would have to prove actual damages.

Unauthorized access in connection with fraud, for example. I'll let the lawyers figure it out, and I hope they do.

Astroturfing and shilling isn’t illegal. Unless an account was hacked, no crime has been committed. Even lying generally isn’t a crime. In terms of fraud, there has to be a determination of unlawful gain or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Astroturfing isn’t fraud, nor is shilling.

Which is why I said they'd have to work with the feds on how.