Astroturfing
Faking grassroots support through inauthentic accounts or paid activity.
Short answer
What is Astroturfing?
Astroturfing is the practice of manufacturing an appearance of spontaneous public support through fake accounts, undisclosed paid promotion or coordinated inauthentic behaviour.
Definition
Astroturfing is the practice of manufacturing an appearance of spontaneous public support through fake accounts, undisclosed paid promotion or coordinated inauthentic behaviour.
Why It Matters
It is prohibited by every major platform, increasingly detectable, and when exposed it damages the candidate far more than the original absence of support would have. Our Code of Ethics prohibits it without exception.
Example in Indian Elections
Genuine advocacy uses real, identifiable supporters speaking in their own words, with any paid or incentivised relationship disclosed publicly.
Related Terms
- Social ListeningContinuous monitoring of online conversation about a campaign.
- MisinformationFalse information circulating regardless of intent to deceive.
- Dark PostA targeted advertisement visible only to its intended audience.
- Opt-In ConsentAffirmative permission from a person before contacting them.
- Polling BoothThe individual polling station where a defined group of voters casts their votes.
- Form 20The statutory ECI document publishing booth-wise vote counts after a poll.