Mini Army of Bots Flood UK Social Media Ahead of Election
A tiny gang of “bot-like” accounts has been behind a flood of disinfo and hate on social media, racking up over 150 million views in the run-up to the UK General Election. These digital troublemakers churned out more than 60,000 posts since May 22 on a major platform, pushing conspiracy theories, extreme hate speech, and even praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Just 10 Bots, Massive Reach
An investigation spotted key signs of these bots: nonstop posting, usernames ending with long number strings, and no profile pics. Shockingly, just 10 accounts drove the bulk of this tsunami of content, reaching millions of users. Most targeted UK politics, with one focusing on US politics and another drilling into the royal family.
Far-Right, Anti-Migrant, Pro-Palestine Bots All In The Mix
- One bot proudly used hashtags like “MBGA” (Make Britain Great Again) and “MAGA” (Make America Great Again), spreading anti-migrant, transphobic, and far-right posts while backing Reform UK.
- Another claimed to support Palestine, the environment, and the NHS, but regularly slammed the Conservative Party and posted anti-Nigel Farage content.
No Proof of Political Party Links
Important to note: there’s no evidence any UK political party has paid for, used, or promoted these bots in their election campaigns. The social media storm came from rogue accounts, not official party machines.
