Russian trolls dominated the American presidential election headlines in 2016, accused of meddling with the democratic process. In February, 13 Russians were charged with offences relating to their alleged plot to interfere with the presidential election through social media propaganda. Her research on the 2015 federal election did not, however, find a major impact of political bots. “They’re simply props.”Abray said the “illusion” created by large crowds plays into social pressures that can influence how people vote. In the provincial election, Abray doubts that astroturfing will sway the result because the practice is not widely used here.

Source: thestar May 09, 2018 21:45 UTC