Sources of manipulation

Manipulation in the feed can stem from several sources.

Firstly, the bot collects information from the internet, but is not always able to assess whether a particular source is reliable. If fake news, sensationalist headlines or content created solely to stir up emotions appear online, the automated system may pick them up and repost them. In such cases, the user who triggered this process may not even realise that misleading content has appeared on their profile.

A second source of manipulation is errors in artificial intelligence tools. AI may confuse facts, misinterpret context, link together unrelated information, or oversimplify a topic to such an extent that a false picture of the situation emerges. Such an error may appear credible because the text is written fluently and ‘professionally’, but it may still be untrue.

The third source of manipulation is deliberate action. Sometimes, someone programmes bots to promote a specific narrative, attack particular individuals or groups, fuel conflict, or persuade people to adopt extreme views. In such cases, automation is not a convenience, but a tool of influence. This can apply to politics, health, finance, and even everyday social disputes.