Thread by @cbouzy

⚠️Thread: I often see people use the term "Russian bot" and it drives me crazy, so I decided to write this thread to help debunk some of the myths.

1. The term Russian bot is overused and often wrong. Many inauthentic accounts we see are not from Russia and they are not bots...

2. Most inauthentic accounts are controlled by humans and they originate from every region of the world, including North America. Several state-sponsored disinformation networks use inauthentic accounts, and there are several U.S. based groups using inauthentic accounts...

3. 8 digit random numbers in a Twitter handle isn't a telltale sign the account is a bot. When you create a new Twitter account, you are given a handle with random numbers. You can change your handle, but many users don't, hence the reason why many accounts have random numbers...

4. Individuals who run state-sponsored networks are not amateurs, they are not creating accounts with random 8 digit numbers so the average person can easily spot them. It takes seconds to create accounts with less conspicuous handles, so looking for 8 digits is not reliable...

5. Inauthentic accounts are constantly changing their strategies and methods to avoid detection. For example, they will tweet disinformation and then mask their activity with dozens of innocuous tweets. They also create fake profiles on other platforms to seem more legitimate...

6. Inauthentic accounts often cite unreliable bot detection tools to demonstrate they are human and not bots. Most bot detection tools are trained to classify automated tweet activity and spam, but they are ineffective at classifying inauthentic human controlled accounts.

7. Bot Sentinel doesn't only classify automated bot accounts, but it is also capable of classifying several categories of inauthentic human controlled accounts. An account can receive a low bot score with one tool while receiving a significantly higher Bot Sentinel score...

8. Inauthentic accounts are not exclusive to the GOP and MAGA supporters. There are groups of inauthentic accounts who impersonate Resisters, and there are Democratic campaigns that use inauthentic accounts to spread favorable messaging while attacking their opponent(s)...

9. The age of an account is insignificant. The more sophisticated groups are capable of acquiring old abandoned accounts via hacking and/or purchasing older accounts from a 3rd party service. Old or new, you can't assume the legitimacy of an account based on the creation date..

I hope this thread was helpful and please share it so we can help educate others and dispel the myths.