Fake Twitter followers
Since Twitter first emerged in 2006, its influence has continued to grow and is now seen as a powerful tool for politicians, celebrities and business. The number of “followers” has become something of a status symbol and an indicator of credibility. Our independent correspondent Ricky Derisz explores the rising use of fake followers to enhance credibility and status.
There is no denying that Twitter has become ingrained in society. And it’s not hard to see its allure. It’s quick, concise and fun. Although it would still fall under the umbrella of “social media”, Twitter has evolved into something altogether more powerful. It’s a channel for breaking news and spreading information. Alongside celebrities telling millions of followers what they’ve eaten for tea, Twitter is now used as a platform for journalists, and indeed the general public, to tell the world what is going on.
Over recent times, the first I heard about many big news stories was through the medium of Twitter. One good example is the Boston Bombings. Scrolling through the latest Tweets as I do (probably far too regularly) I came across a journalist I follow who had “retweeted” the story of someone who was there. Immediately I delved deeper and, using just the users I follow, I managed to discover all of the information as it was happening; as quick as, if not faster than, watching TV.
A J Liebling once said: “The function of the press in society is to inform, but its role in society is to make money.” I think this can apply to Twitter. How? Well, as a growing platform that now has plenty of credibility, Twitter has become more than a way to inform. It’s a status symbol. The credibility of an account almost goes hand in hand with how many followers the Tweeter has. And, in perhaps my pessimistic view, this has now been exploited. Perhaps not widely recognised, there is a new phenomenon in the “Twitter sphere” of fake Twitter followers. You can’t put a price on Twitter followers I hear you cry? Well, actually, you can.
I was first made aware of just how common fake followers were when reading an article on the BBC. A review in to followers of certain celebrities revealed that a huge quantity of followers were not genuine Tweeters. For example, around 50% of Justin Bieber’s 38 million are “real” people. The rest are hollow, unauthentic accounts. Most of them simply spam. Other celebrities, such as Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, all have a high percentage of these accounts. Although with that being said, I don’t particularly care about celebrities. Perhaps it’s not even that surprising that spammers try and jump on the bandwagon of famous pop stars of Hollywood’s finest. However, this is where it gets interesting…there is much more to it than that.
As followers are a direct link to credibility, it benefits certain “power players” to have as many followers to their account as possible. In addition to celebrities, politicians, news outlets, journalists or businessmen all can benefit from this. The more followers you have, the bigger the momentum builds and your voice reaches a bigger audience. I was fascinated to discover that websites actually exist where users can buy followers. Yes, you can buy followers on Twitter. For example, the website https://www.fastfollowerz.com lets you buy 100 followers for only $9. In fact, if you really wanted to push the boat out, you can buy 100,000 for $399. In the UK, the website Socialsupercharge.co.uk states: “Twitter is an important platform for online communication and can bring in leads, opportunities, and sales to your business. It is a fact that the easiest way to increase your Twitter followers on your twitter account is to buy them.”
It’s an eye opener. And, according to Yahoo the trend is growing. What does it mean for Twitter users? Firstly, it’s a violation of Twitter’s Terms of Service, so anyone caught doing this in theory should have their account removed. But the bigger issue for me comes down to trust. The more widespread the issue, the less likely people will believe followers are genuine. After all, what is $399 to a multi-million pound business? I don’t think it’ll be the death of Twitter. In fact, to consider such a thing is far too drastic. But it does pose the question as to whether these accounts will be combated in any way.
For me, it’s also a bit of a shame. I believe Twitter is a fantastic invention and it has many uses. The whole concept is based on how interesting you are, and how many people decide they want to be up to date with what you have to say. Call me old fashioned, but the fact big companies have taken advantage of this, and discovered ways to make money from it, is disappointing.
Interestingly, since discovering how widespread fake Twitter followers are, I’ve started noticing a number of accounts which appear to have “capitalised” on the option of buying followers. I won’t name names, but next time you’re on Twitter, take a look for yourself. That local politician you follow that has 200,000 followers? That may be down to a bit more than being likeable and helping out in the community…
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