EXPLAINER: How to spot if your social media feed is being manipulated?

Around 95.8 million user identities in the Philippines are surfing different social media platforms to read news, exchange information, and to pass the time.

Amid the sea of opinions online, what if the content you're being fed doesn't come from real people at all? Instead, it could be part of a calculated campaign to alter your perspective and shape public perception.

Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior

The Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior (CIB) is an organized online tactic used to amplify a specific message or narrative.

The CIB is different from using one fake account, instead, it uses networks of multiple accounts, pages, or groups that simultaneously work to reinforce a unified narrative.

The goal of this organized online tactic is to make it look like an idea is being believed or patronized through natural or organic means, even though it was actually planned all along.

Through this coordinated attack, a narrative spreads much faster with a wave of accounts flooding the internet — simultaneously posting, commenting, liking, and sharing the exact same message.

“‘Yung coordinated attacks, hindi necessary na isyu na pinapakalat. Pwedeng partially true, pwedeng out of context, pwede ring totoo, pero ina-amplify or pinapakalat in an almost artificial or fabricated way,” said Giano Libot, an open-source intelligence analyst.

(Coordinated attacks don't necessarily have to be about spreading lies. It could be partially true, it could be out of context, it could even be true — but it is being amplified or spread in an almost artificial or fabricated way.)

“‘Yung coordinated attacks naman is a very specific tactic under disinformation,” he added

According to Libot, even factual information can be used for information manipulation if its dissemination is systematically planned.

Sock puppets

Coordinated attacks are associated with other terms, such as “Sock puppets,” which pertains to robot or bot accounts. These are accounts that do not belong to real people and are often controlled by a single person or organization.

“‘Yung sock puppets kasi are… term lang ‘yun for bot accounts or mga robot na mga account. ‘Yung mga account na hindi totoong tao. And oftentimes, in a lot of investigations, nakikita natin na, you know, isang user lang, pero some po ‘yung hinahawakan or more than that,” Libot explained.

(Sock puppets is just a term for bot or automated accounts — accounts that do not belong to real people. And more often than not, in many investigations, we see that a single user is actually managing several of these accounts, or even more.)

Sock puppets are used simultaneously to make it appear like they were being manipulated or controlled by different users.

Bot accounts controlled by a single person or community are often used to simultaneously like, share, and comment to artificially boost a post's engagement.

Astroturfing

Astroturfing refers to the behavior of sock puppets.

This happens when a false impression is created that an idea, candidate, policy, product, or advocacy has widespread public support, even when it does not.

For example, when you open a comment section, multiple accounts might be saying almost the exact same thing.

At first glance, it appears to be the majority opinion, but in reality, it could just be part of a coordinated campaign designed to make a narrative look popular.

“Astroturfing is more on behavior ng mga sock puppets… this is really a term that we often use to describe ‘yung nangyayari sa mga comment sections or sa mga forum pages wherein inuulan ng scripted, often times, scripted na comments ‘yung isang page to be able to either promote an idea or either to promote an idea or to undermine a certain post,” Libot said.

(Astroturfing is more about the behavior of these sock puppets... This is a term we frequently use to describe what happens in comment sections or forum pages, where a page is flooded with scripted — often highly coordinated — comments to either promote an idea or undermine a specific post.)

Who or what can be a target of CIB?

According to Libot, almost any topic discussed online can become a target for this type of campaign — from entertainment and show business to sports, lifestyle, and even climate issues.

He added that whenever there is an issue involving significant interests or a specific agenda, it can be accompanied by organized online efforts to influence public perception.

One of the most frequently cited examples of a potential coordinated online campaign is the legal battle between Hollywood actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.

In 2022, Depp won a defamation case against Heard after a jury in Virginia, USA, ruled that several domestic abuse allegations against the actor were false.

But even before the trial began, thousands of pro-Depp accounts reportedly emerged suddenly on social media.

While Heard’s team could not prove whether these accounts were paid for, a data expert who analyzed the online activity stated that more than half of the tweets were inauthentic.

Based on the analysis, it is possible that bots or troll accounts were behind them.

“Anything that has an agenda, that has an interest in society, mayroong (we have)… like, you have to accept na mayroon talagang (that there are) forces that will manipulate social media to achieve their selfish ends,” Libot said.

“A lot of studies have also shown na medyo unfairly targeted talaga ‘yung mga babae sa ganitong cases. Disproportionately. Hindi ibig sabihin na walang impact on men. Pero, in general, a lot of the violence and the hatred against women online are also facilitated by disinformation,” he added.

(A lot of studies have also shown that women are quite unfairly targeted in these cases — disproportionately so. This doesn't mean there is no impact on men, but in general, much of the violence and hatred directed against women online is also facilitated by disinformation.)

How can you spot an online coordinated attack?

To have a guideline on how to determine if you are being targeted by a coordinated attack online, observe using the “A.B.C.D.E. Framework.”

• A for Actor. Check who is posting or spreading the information. Is it a real person, a known media outlet, or an account with a suspicious profile and very little personal information?
• B for Behavior. Observe how the accounts act. Are there multiple accounts posting, commenting, or using the exact same phrasing or images at almost the same time?
• C for Content. Analyze the content itself. Is the full context provided, or is it appealing to emotions — like anger or fear — to provoke people into immediately believing or reacting to it?
• D for Degree. Look at the scale of its reach. Is it just a single post, or is the same content popping up across different pages, groups, and social media platforms at nearly the same time?
• E for Effect. Consider its impact. Could this cause confusion, anger, or fear, or perhaps manipulate public perception regarding a person or an issue?

“Gone are the days na we have to treat social media as a playground. I think we have to treat the online world as a jungle. Isa na itong malaking (It is now a big) jungle na sometimes there are friendly elements, but oftentimes there are a lot of hostile elements,” Libot said.

“And I think it's better for us as a society to approach social media with healthier na skepticism. ‘Yung pagiging critical lang sa ano'ng nakikita natin online. Huwag madaling maniwala. Hindi ibig sabihin na hindi na talaga tayo dapat maniwala but you have to also rely on your own steps to verify,” he added.

(And I think it’s better for us as a society to approach social media with healthier skepticism—just being critical of what we see online. Don't be so quick to believe. This doesn't mean we should stop believing altogether, but you also have to take your own steps to verify.)

In this age of the internet, we cannot simply believe a post shared online, because behind its likes and shares could be an organized campaign trying to manipulate public opinion.

Before you react, share, or believe — make it a habit to verify first. — Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/BAP, GMA News