'It's all fake' - Former Reddit CEO admits social media traffic statistics are phony

wow

Duh?

I have long suspected that I am the only living person posing on the internet. Since Richard retired.

The issue here is twofold.

#1. These social media providers are charging advertisers based on their own fraudulent metrics, and the people paying for ad-space are getting ripped off.

#2. It allows them to create a faux sense of 'community consensus' and manipulate the crowds of people - If half or more of the 'upvotes' on these sites are pure B.S. - they can ostensibly ostracize counter-viewpoints by fooling people into a belief that the rest of the world just doesn't think as they do, which in-fact is false. They can then proceed to use this manipulation from everything to adverse socioeconomic views to political manipulation - making politicians believe more people are 'in-line' with a certain view than reality dictates. This inevitably causes civil-war or revolution.

This is a very dangerous precedent.

Wow? Are you surprised?

When you pay for advertising on Facebook, you will "miraculously" get a bunch of endless likes from Indian men.

Not surprised - I used to do SEO and know well the ease of social-media manipulation. I am surprised to hear it directly from the horses mouth.

As a Russian bot, I'm in good company.

It works both ways too, metrics or views can be way higher for certain things than they appear.