Re:Disclosing networks of state-linked information operation...
by viraptor on Friday June 12, 2020 @08:16AM
(#23498455)
It's not like your need a lot of text. Do you really think that producing 10k different messages is "expensive" for an intelligence group? (Not that you need to write that many with some templates and randomisation)
Yes, lots of people heard about bots and use the accusation incorrectly. But in many cases actual sockpuppets are easy to spot. There's lots of accounts used only for propaganda for example and switch from Chinese-supporting messages when there's something happening in China to Russia supporting content following some news, to Trump supporting the next month before elections. They don't even bother deleting old messages, because most people don't check / doesn't care.
Being too cynical is certainly as wrong as being too naive. This sound a bit like that latter. I would think the Russian influence stories were a form of simple propaganda. That was not a mistake by intelligence because they already knew long before. They didn't plant bots though, that is too expensive for most countries, especially if the language barrier is that high. China might employ some people, but it is unfeasible for most countries.
To be honest, I think people accusing others to be bots are wrong in 99.9% of cases.