The latest Cobrapost sting operation code name ‘Blue Virus’ allegedly reveals the shocking use of sockpuppets by Indian IT companies in aid of corporates, politicians and criminals. Sockpuppets are ‘fake’ online identities used for purposes of deception.
Every informed user of Wikipedia suffered a rude shock in October ‘13 when it was revealed that a sockpuppet investigation by Wikipedia had unearthed 323 user accounts as confirmed sockpuppets with 84 more under suspicion.
The Cobrapost revelation today exposes something similar. Only, in the case of Wikipedia, the sockpuppets were generally used write about companies and living persons; the pages were generally positive and promotional in nature.
But the Cobrapost operation ‘Blue Virus’ tells a different story.
(screen grab from YouTube video of cobrapost.com)
One ‘reputation manager’ sort of promises to unleash defamatory allegations against Rahul Gandhi.
The ‘Blue Virus’ sting allegedly reveals that Indian IT companies are running a shady business of reputation management on social media platforms. The services they offer include fake fan-following on Facebook and Twitter, and negative publicity against an opponent.
The targeted reputation might be that of a political leader or a party, a corporate house, NGOs, government servants - in short, anyone who the moneybags take dislike to.
Even more horrifying is the claim by Cobrapost that one such reputation manager offered to spread rumours to instigate a communal riot, target particular community or religion for voter intimidation, and whatnot.
Even reading the press release gives me shivers. [http://www.cobrapost.com/index.php/news-detail?nid=4024&cid=23]
Which essentially reinforces the oft forgotten, ‘Don’t believe everything you see or read on the internet!’
Every informed user of Wikipedia suffered a rude shock in October ‘13 when it was revealed that a sockpuppet investigation by Wikipedia had unearthed 323 user accounts as confirmed sockpuppets with 84 more under suspicion.
The Cobrapost revelation today exposes something similar. Only, in the case of Wikipedia, the sockpuppets were generally used write about companies and living persons; the pages were generally positive and promotional in nature.
But the Cobrapost operation ‘Blue Virus’ tells a different story.
(screen grab from YouTube video of cobrapost.com)
One ‘reputation manager’ sort of promises to unleash defamatory allegations against Rahul Gandhi.
The ‘Blue Virus’ sting allegedly reveals that Indian IT companies are running a shady business of reputation management on social media platforms. The services they offer include fake fan-following on Facebook and Twitter, and negative publicity against an opponent.
The targeted reputation might be that of a political leader or a party, a corporate house, NGOs, government servants - in short, anyone who the moneybags take dislike to.
Even more horrifying is the claim by Cobrapost that one such reputation manager offered to spread rumours to instigate a communal riot, target particular community or religion for voter intimidation, and whatnot.
Even reading the press release gives me shivers. [http://www.cobrapost.com/index.php/news-detail?nid=4024&cid=23]
Which essentially reinforces the oft forgotten, ‘Don’t believe everything you see or read on the internet!’
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