The old webmaster of the old Save Ardmore Coalition website (website no longer exists and neither does The Save Ardmore Coalition except in memory) first explained to me about Internet sock puppets. Literally people post under fake handles etc to boost reviews, get attention, and more.
While online disinformation campaigns are not new phenomena, the topic generated renewed interest in the wake of the 2016 US presidential election. This has led to large-scale journalistic and scholarly investigations of disinformation operations on social media platforms in the years since. This article attempts to summarize our current understanding of disinformation operations and how they have evolved from 2016 to the present. We also outline key ways that such operations can be detected with examples from recent campaigns, the ongoing challenges in this area, and common misconceptions.
…..To begin our discussion, we need to start with a common set of definitions. We define a sockpuppet as a fictitious online identity created for the purposes of deception. Sockpuppets are usually created in large numbers by a single controlling person or group. They are typically used for block evasion, creating false majority opinions, vote stacking, and other similar pursuits. Sockpuppets are as old as the internet—and even older than that. In academic literature, they are sometimes called Sybils, and they are a staple of research in distributed systems security.
In contrast, bots are fully automated accounts which disseminate and sometimes produce content. A simple example of a bot that is not a sockpuppet is the Big Ben Clock account on Twitter, which tweets “bong” every hour of every day. Bots are relatively rare on social media and are generally much easier to detect.
The use of sockpuppets is rapidly rising. In 2013, Wikipedia published research detailing their identification of “2700 unique suspected cases” of sockpuppets. These numbers seem almost quaint now. In 2017, a study was published analyzing 3656 verified sockpuppets in the comment section of various discussion communities. The University of Oxford estimated 70 countries were affected by state-sponsored social media manipulation in 2019, a 150% increase from just 2 years prior. Academic estimates suggest that 5-15% of all Twitter accounts are sockpuppets, while Facebook estimates that 5% of all accounts on its platform are fake.
Identifying Sockpuppets
So how are sockpuppet accounts detected, both by the social media giants and in academia? There are, broadly speaking, five techniques that we look for – or we would say features that are used.
IP-based correlation (accounts that are closely linked geographically)
Temporal-based correlation (closely linked in time)
Signs of automation in username/handle and other account metadata
Social subgraphs
Content similarity
Ok so that author above has sockpuppet as one word. I always have it as two. Don’t know which is correct….
So back in October 2023, a certain “Main Line Public Figure” called Easttown Police on me. For referring to this oddness on Facebook where it looked like either his account had been cloned under a fake name or for some reason he had created another account. So was it his sock puppet account? See screenshots below. Notice little globes. That means public.
I didn’t do anything wrong. This guy lays his life out on social media everywhere. Self branded public figure. Even has pictures of his kids when they were little on Twitter. Puts his cars up and his beach house and even his wife’s career. Pick a platform – it’s not hidden – TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Google, etc.
So recently there was a bit of a social media meltdown. Having to do with a Google review. Google reviews are public. Here is the review and subsequent posts:
Well the group is still up (of course.) I am glad to not be in the group any longer. I found it somewhat worthless anyway. I initially joined it because friends did. I didn’t know whose group it was originally because he blocked me. So I was just a body to give him member counts, I suppose.
When I first heard about the absurd events to pay $45 to meet him at Autograph Brasserie in Wayne, I laughed out loud. Why would you want to meet him? And can’t you just take yourself somewhere for a meal without a seeing eye human? Well that got me tossed out of his group for saying that out loud. Funny thing is because he blocked me I never saw his posts anyway. Needless to say, I don’t miss the group.
However, his Facebook group is like a leaky boat. And his posts travel. But that is what happens with social media, especially when you are running around wanting to be an influencer and/or public figure. The entire objective is to literally get people to follow you and hang on your every word, but when you don’t like the end result you cry foul?
One of the favorite laments of this person is people targeting his wife and children. No one really does because they aren’t responsible for him BUT he puts it ALL out there IN PUBLIC VIEW.
It’s creepy. He might not LIKE my opinion, but it’s not illegal, libel, or slander. It’s an opinion.
And today, who really added this review on Google? I mean everyone knows to get bad reviews pushed down, you have to add others right?
Jennifer Gilbert is his wife, correct? Oy vey. Come on! Sock puppetry much?
Again, not speaking poorly of her or anyone related to him. Don’t know the woman, don’t want to know any of them. Don’t like Corvettes or McMansions. Or mid rate cruises.
What I do know is this guy puts it all out there publicly, constantly.
I don’t understand why he objects to then people discussing what he puts out there publicly? Is it he can’t control the narrative? Then maybe he needs to change his own narrative, huh? See screenshots above as an example. Threatening someone for leaving a negative Google review? And then a magical sock puppet named bebe bebe leaves a 5 star review? Are we rating nachos?
And in case his narrative takes a familiar turn: this post is not sharing any inside or private information. All found on Google, Facebook, TickTok, etc. The First Amendment allows people to have opinions. And no, not speaking disparagingly of his family. At the end of the day I am musing on sock puppets and what some people think being a public figure is all about and well, not illegal is it?
