A data analyst said in a new interview "digital activists" are trying to control the spread of information on social media through a variety of methods.
Matthew Brown appears on this weekend's edition of "Full Measure" and told host Sharyl Attkisson fake news doesn't stop at stories written for what appear to be news websites.
"Digital activists are paid employees," Brown said. "Their purpose is to attack anyone who's posting something contrary to the view of the page owner wants expressed."
Those activists are active on social media platforms like Facebook, Brown said. He used software to analyze 226,000 Facebook posts that were pro-Obamacare. They were posted by 40,000 Facebook profiles.
"Sixty percent of all the posts were made from 100 profiles, posting between the hours of 9 and 5 Pacific Time," Brown said. "They were paid to post."
The practice often involves "zombie profiles" that automatically post at certain times of the day. Those posts also receive "zombie likes" to make them appear more popular than they are.
Fake news and information was one of the most talked-about topics emerging from last fall's presidential election. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia tried to influence the election via fake news stories and computer hacks. President Donald Trump uses the term fake news on a regular basis, even using it to describe stories that appear on major news networks.
“Full Measure” airs Sunday on Sinclair stations nationwide, and is streamed live on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. ET at fullmeasure.news.
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