Botoferma worked through Facebook and Instagram.
In Ukraine, this election year blossomed botofermy – feykovye industry comments, that leave in social networks of certain politicians. Or against. As well as the promotion of the whole system of emotive news from “landing pages” on the well-known news sites.
Recently it became known, that Facebook is banned in Ukraine huge “farm bots”, which covered more than four million subscribers. Because of this, some news sites even hit, who participated in the scheme.
later it turned out, that this empire feykovye comments had a solid clientele. In particular, According to the media – party Svyatoslav Vakarchuk “Vote” and “civil position” Anatoly Gritsenko.
tell, what is known about it.
How to shut down a factory trolls
A few days ago Facebook has suspended operations in Ukraine accounts and groups, who conducted a disinformation campaign. It managed to identify them on the basis of behavioral analysis.
This was reported by the social network itself, with reference to the chief cybersecurity Facebook Nathaniel Gleyhera. Total has been removed 168 accounts, 149 pages and 79 groups. In total, they had 4,2 million subscribers.
accounts, which caused the administration social network questions, They were related to the Ukrainian PR-agency Pragmatico. Moderators and owners of these communities have used feykovye accounts, who regularly change names, and posing as news media.
Usually, These resources are published data about famous people, show business, sport, local and international news, political news (in particular, on the elections in Ukraine), political candidates, and also criticized public figures.
Advertising budget of these groups and pages on Facebook and Instagram to Facebook estimated at approximately $1,6 million.
reported, that one of the most expensive positions in the elections has been placed in the fan group “I Tymoshenko – fan Club”. Fast “If you win for Ukraine – PUSH Like” He brought a million impressions. This post could cost between 10 to 50 one thousand dollars. Other positions of politicians usually costs ten times cheaper.
Presumably this was a concerted campaign, which the organizers refer people to websites with Facebook, which are positioned as news. As a result, these accounts have been blocked Resources, how Znaj.ua, Politek, harboring.
Facebook gives concrete posts, for which these sites have received block.
As for Pragmatico Agency, on the net about it very little information. On his Facebook page specified, the agency specializes in the protection of reputation in social networks, creating and promoting personal brands.
However, none of the people, which presumably could be related to the company, He did not respond to reporters' questions.
In this case, the work of the eponymous agency in the summer of Odessa wrote blogger Alexander Kovalenko. He wrote about Pragmatico, as a troll factory, that during the elections fulfilled orders to discredit candidates.
“As part of the troll-groups of young people 20-30 years working in three shifts, each 10 human. Monthly salary is about one troll 9 thousand hryvnia”, – I wrote blogger. The norm of the day shift – 300 comment, night - 200 comment, he added.
Reaction “Know” and “Politeka”
Following the publication of Znaj.ua and Politeka.net investigation reacted to block their Facebook pages.
According to them, they did some time cooperated with Pragmatico and received from the company's consultation on the promotion page in social networks.
In this case, from the information warfare both sites disown, stated, that on their official pages of this could not be.
They also deny the use of fake web pages and require recovery of their accounts on Facebook.
How does botoferma
Investigation on the troll factory in sync with the Facebook edition published “Slidstvo.Info”. Services bots are almost all policies, even those, who believe “new faces”, It says in the film “I – boat”, published on YouTube.
It is mentioned and the agency Pragmatico, which “I cleaned out” Facebook.
Even a small botoferma operates with budgets of millions and pays the salaries in envelopes. This informal service market reaches millions of dollars a year.
Journalist, who settled there ostensibly to work, reported, botofermy that employees are represented by two companies – all the same, or Pragmatico “doping”. Every day I had to write 200-300 Comments for the different political forces. For this work suggested 9000 hryvnia. Since botoferma worked in black, worker immediately warned, that the salary will be issued in cash on hand.
workers dumped “Manuals” Chat in the Telegram. Is to be presented in the form of 5-6 key points and indicated areas for komemntariev. These were usually politicians or personal page, or popular pages with political news. At the same time they could a few days campaigning for a politician, and throw it to the next task and switch to someone else.
The day commentators could receive up to a dozen different tasks. Bots were online table, which records, how many comments each employee wrote in favor of a particular policy, and under what news.
When you create a fake web pages of stolen pictures of real people from social networks “In contact with”, which is now locked in Ukraine. Photos uploaded to the fake web Facebook account with a false name and surname.
One employee can maintain multiple accounts and even to enter their name into a dialogue with each other. For customers, this work could cost up to two dollars for one comment, and them in the same job can be thousands.
Journalist “investigation” said that before the July elections to the Rada botoferma massively worked on two politicians – Anatoly Gritsenko and Svyatoslav Vakarchuk.
According to the publication, Internet bots when working in the interests of Anatoly Gritsenko and his party, I had to focus on the military policy experience and his professionalism. In the same time, Bots had to criticize political rivals Gritsenko - Igor Smeshko and Svyatoslav Vakarchuk.
Overall botoferma wrote at least 24 thousands of comments in favor of “citizenship” and its leader.
A 8 July, two weeks before parliamentary elections, “farm” began to work in the interests of Svyatoslav Vakarchuk and his party “Vote”, that bots attacked the day before.
“bots” written comments in support of policy, focusing on young faces and spotless reputation of party members, and left for the benefit of “Vote” about 6 thousand comments.
Gritsenko refused to comment on this topic, and said Vakarchuk, his party to this relationship has not.
