Thread by @heartfulmom

🇷🇺 Russia’s running America’s elections - again. And why not? Putin successfully installed his puppet and his agenda. #TraitorTrump, the #NRA, the @GOP and #MoscowMitch are welcoming him back with open arms - and servers!

🛑 ‘We the People’ must stop them! #DemCast @DemCastUSA

2. What can we do? #DemCast @DemocracyStorm recommends @DFRLab’s ‘How to Spot a Bot.’ Written in 2017 - the warnings still apply. But be aware, Russian troll farms have upped their game over the past four years becoming sneakier and more sophisticated.
link.medium.com/GaWkXEtyg4

3.🚨How to Spot a Bot/Cyborg/Troll!

BOT = An automated acct created to promote/amplify a specific message, hashtag +/or media content

CYBORG = Bot acct w/some original tweets by user(s)

TROLL = Purpose of acct is to create dissension. Accts can be BOTH GOP and DEM.

4.😃 NOT all BOTS are malicious or political. Ex: Some post poetry, art, uplifting quotes, animals, nature, etc. Some are commercial.

🗣 We’re focusing on FAKE accts created to amplify political messaging. Be aware: Troll farms have improved their ability to deceive since 2017.

5. 🔎 Spot a Bot CLUES: The 3 As!

ACTIVITY

• Divide # of posts by # of days active
Suspicious: 50-144 tweets a day
Highly Suspicious: Over 144 tweets

ANONYMITY

• GENERIC page, pic, profile, location

• HANDLE = Name + Long Number
String

6. Generic Acct Ex:
@ BlackManTrump👇

AMPLIFICATION

• Tap on ‘Tweets + Replies’
Eyeball Timeline

• TIMELINE = A procession of RTs,
word-for-word news headlines,
few to no original tweets, high # of
word/name/hashtag repetitions
Ex: @ sunneversets100👇

7. 🚨BOTNETS = Large # of accts RT the same post

🔎CLUES:

• Disparity between Activity + Impact
Idle accts w/high # of Likes + RTs

• Common Content - Same headline,
tweet or string of tweets by many
accts

8. 🔎 BOTNET CLUES:

• SAME PIC many accts, often a
pretty girl, use Google Image search

• NAMES: @ = name + long # string,
doesn’t match pic

• Twitter of BABEL: Same tweet in
many languages

9. 🔎Botnet CLUES

COMMERCIAL CONTENT
• Political messaging embedded in a
real or fake commercial acct

URL SHORTENERS
• if. tt
• owl. ly
• bit. ly
• tinyurl. com
• Used to track traffic
• Misspelled celebrity names as lures

10. 🔎Botnet CLUES

• Identical or tiny variations between
# of RTs and LIKEs

🎯 BOTNETS REPORT accts en masse to get them BANNED. Target accts with:

• RESISTANCE hashtags
• FBR - Follow Back Resistance
• FBR “PARTIES”
• LARGE # of FOLLOWERS

👉 VET. EVERYONE.
#DemCast