Likewar: The Weaponization of Social Media

by P.W. Singer

that had sunk the 2004 presidential bid of Democratic candidate John Kerry. Suddenly, bots popped up everywhere, all fighting for Brown. Fake accounts across Facebook and Twitter trumpeted Brown’s name as often as possible, seeking to manipulate search results. Most novel was what was then called a “Twitterbomb.” Twitter users interested in the election began to receive automated replies supporting Brown. Importantly, these solicitations hit users beyond Massachusetts, greatly enriching Brown’s coffers. When Brown became the first Republican to win a Massachusetts Senate seat since 1952, political analysts were both floored and fascinated. Bots had enabled an election to be influenced from afar. They had also shown how one could create the appearance of grassroots support and turn it into reality, a tactic that became known as “astroturfing.”