The Kamala Harris campaign is under scrutiny following allegations of using social media tactics to inflate her popularity and suppress negative content. According to The Federalist, Harris staffers have reportedly organized a network on Discord to direct volunteers in manipulating platforms like Reddit and X to create artificial support.
Reports claim that Harris’ team encouraged supporters to up-vote pro-Harris content on Reddit and down-vote critical posts. In two weeks, the effort allegedly generated over 5.7 million upvotes and thousands of comments. Some 126 of the top posts on Reddit’s “Politics” forum last month are said to have come from Harris supporters following specific guidance from campaign organizers.
Elon Musk launching an investigation into Harris campaign's manipulation of social media platforms?
About time someone looked into this! Harris campaign busted for "astroturfing" on Reddit, now caught red-handed again.
When will people learn that fake support doesn't equal…
— Stop Socialist Tyranny (@endlibtyranny) November 4, 2024
On X, similar tactics are reportedly being used to counter “community notes,” the platform’s fact-checking tool. The Harris campaign allegedly directed followers to “dislike” fact-checks that might challenge Harris’ posts, preventing them from appearing to users. This has reportedly allowed false information from pro-Harris accounts to go unchecked, impacting the platform’s fact-checking system.
Additionally, Google has faced criticism for permitting Harris’ team to modify headlines of mainstream media articles to favor Harris. News organizations were reportedly unaware of these changes. Elon Musk, owner of X, has since launched an investigation into Harris’ team’s alleged online activities, adding a layer of scrutiny to these claims.
Are these fake pollsters, social media influencers & goof- ball celebrities being paid to support Kamaliar Harris?
— 🇺🇸 Clayton⚔️Thompson 🗽 (@Sam695411) November 3, 2024
