Bot accounts spread misinformation on X, fuel US conspiracy theories

An investigation by Global Witness revealed that bot-like accounts on the social media platform X have been spreading misinformation and hate ahead of Britain’s election and are now targeting US politics. These accounts, active since late May, generated over four billion impressions and have since shifted focus to significant events related to the presidential election in November.

The watchdog’s report highlighted how these accounts promoted conspiracy theories around the assassination attempt on Donald Trump and false claims about President Joe Biden withdrawing from the race. Despite Elon Musk’s pledges to reduce digital manipulation after purchasing the platform in 2022 for $44 billion, bot activity remains prevalent.

Accounts analysed by Global Witness also spread climate disinformation and participated in anti-migrant protests in Ireland. Ava Lee from Global Witness expressed concern about the ease with which these bots spread division and urged the platform to enhance its moderation efforts to protect democratic processes.

The platform, previously known as Twitter, did not respond to requests for comment. An automated reply from the press team indicated they were busy. Global Witness found no evidence linking British political parties to the bot-like accounts. Meanwhile, Elon Musk faced criticism for sharing a deepfake video of Kamala Harris, further raising concerns about the platform’s role in disseminating disinformation.