Bots can shift public opinion in Colombian election

Bogota/Colombia – European Union Election Observers have said that automated accounts, known as social bots, were responsible for 20% of the online interactions with candidates in Colombia ahead of the upcoming presidential elections on May 29th.

Experts said social bots are legitimate marketing tools although they can actually manipulate public opinion and contribute more to the process of information diffusion.

Maria Paula Martinez, FLIP Assistant Director, sheds light on how contents by bots behave on social media platforms and interact with genuine accounts.

She said bots are programmed to actively and automatically flood news streams to divert attention.

She said bots are planned precisely to introduce a speech and we are concerned that the media could consider them as opinions against or in favor.

Maria del Pilar Saenz, Karisma Foundation Projects Coordinator, said bots are so noticeable that it is very difficult to really see what the real conversation is about.

She said bots continue to misrepresent public sentiments and perceptions about topics.

“Regarding bots, there have already been decisions made by social media where they have canceled 20% or so of the followers that certain politicians have because it is found that they are accounts that are apparently false accounts or that they are bot accounts. So the platform itself has taken decisions to remove some of these accounts and stop them from generating this artificial noise on their networks,” said Maria del Pilar Saenz.