Social media has become a crucial tool in political campaigns, and a recent example from the United States shows how easily content on these platforms can be misused. Although the U.S. presidential elections are not until November, numerous incidents and controversies have already surfaced in connection with the current political campaign, closely tied to the misuse and manipulation of social media, which could significantly undermine democratic processes and voters’ trust in the electoral system and politicians in general.
Fake Profiles on X Promoting Trump
Recently, several well-known influencers complained that their photos were being used to promote Trump’s political campaign. Several of them, including Debbie Nederlof, Demi Maric, and Kamilla Broberg, have become victims of identity theft to promote Trump’s campaign. One of these fake profiles has amassed over 30,000 followers, and Nederlof, who lives in Europe, later discovered that the profile using her photos was fake.
Meanwhile, CNN and the Center for Information Resilience (CIR) conducted an investigation revealing that at least 17 more influencers from the Netherlands, Denmark, and even Russia had their photos stolen and used with 56 fake profiles promoting Trump. A particularly alarming fact is that 15 of these fake profiles had the “blue checkmark” verification, which is supposed to indicate that a profile is of public interest and belongs to a public figure, brand, or celebrity.
Who Could Be Behind These Posts?
There is currently no official information on who is behind the fake profiles linked to Donald Trump’s political campaign. Experts, including a former press secretary in the Biden administration, suggest that these profiles could be associated with state actors, possibly even hostile nations like Russia, Iran, or China. Horne, who has previously investigated fake profiles on social media, highlighted that the use of attractive photos and regular posting suggests organized and sophisticated activity.
The Danger of Fake Social Media Profiles
Fake news can severely impact voter opinions and the geopolitical landscape, especially during election campaigns. They manipulate perceptions of reality, and the consequences are manifold.
Social media influencers have a significant impact, shaping the views of their followers through media content, which increases the risk of fake profiles exploiting influencers’ photos to quickly reach a large audience. Subsequently, their “endorsements” can reduce critical thinking and increase exposure to manipulative messages, including the misuse of others’ accounts for political propaganda.
Moreover, fake news discredits political opponents by spreading accusations and conspiracy theories. Ultimately, the discovery of fake news can result in voter distrust towards politicians and the media, negatively affecting the quality of the democratic process.
The Consequences of Using Fake News
Significant technological advancements, especially in artificial intelligence, further complicate such situations, as they enable the creation of various content, including audiovisual materials, which are often the most appealing to social media audiences. This is concerning, as a large portion of the online audience is unaware of how much the content they consume influences them. Therefore, it is crucial to strengthen and develop existing mechanisms to combat the spread of fake news.
This is why fact-checking is so important, as imagine publishing a story about social media influencers supporting the Trump vs. Harris presidential campaign without thoroughly verifying each profile, post, or news item, which may have been intentionally or unintentionally published on other portals. I differentiate between intentional and unintentional motives for publication, as certain media outlets may be co-opted for political promotion, so this factor should also be considered, and more neutral platforms should be relied upon.
Publishing such an article could cause additional harm on multiple fronts. Firstly, it further endangers the individuals whose photos are being used without their consent under fake names on other social media platforms. Secondly, it further promotes a political candidate for whom there are justified suspicions (due to previous long-standing involvement in publishing fake news and spreading misinformation) that his PR team is exploiting others’ profiles. Thirdly, it could lead to identity theft, which is a criminal offense. Ultimately, publishing such news could encourage people to vote for the candidate being “promoted,” potentially influencing the election outcome.
Similar examples of manipulation were recorded in Croatia during the Parliamentary elections in April this year. In this case, at least for now, there has been no creation of fake profiles or theft of influencers’ photos to create fake profiles. However, fake likes on the official Facebook page of the HDZ party were popular, used to create an impression of popularity.
In Croatia, the need for systematic fact-checking is growing, and a project called “Establishment of a Fact-Checking System and Public Data Publishing” is currently being implemented, jointly developed by the Agency for Electronic Media and the Ministry of Culture and Media. The Croatian Association of Digital Publishers (HUDI) is actively participating in two projects. In partnership with VERN University (TurFacto project), the focus is on fact-checking in the tourism sector, while the project in collaboration with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computing, and Information Technology Osijek (FACT@FERIT) is focused on thematic information verification in the field of electrical engineering and computing.
The main goal of these projects is to reduce the spread of disinformation, strengthen society’s resilience to disinformation, and increase the reliability and security of information in media content and on social media in the tourism and IT sectors. Additionally, the projects aim to improve the quality of journalism, promote credible reporting, and strengthen media literacy.
Author: Matea Čelebija
