Indonesian electoral candidates game social media

"Buzzer teams" - teams employed to amplify messages and create a buzz on social media - were used by all candidates in the 2017 Indonesian general elections. Coordinated via WhatsApp groups, many of the teams opened fake accounts to spread both positive and negative messages, as well as hate speech. The operators of the most influential accounts could command $1,400 for a single tweet.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/23/indonesias-fake-twitter-account-factories-jakarta-politic

Writer: Kate Lamb
Publication: Guardian