Abstract

Bots, software-controlled accounts that operate on social media, have been used to manipulate and deceive. We studied the characteristics and activity of bots around major political events, including elections in various countries. In this chapter, we summarize our findings of bot operations in the context of the 2016 and 2018 US Presidential and Midterm elections and the 2017 French Presidential election.

Date

March 11, 2026

Authors

Emilio Ferrara

Book

Disinformation, Misinformation, and Fake News in Social Media