Are social media comments just bots?
Bot farms, Chappell Roan and the rise of misinformation.
Chappell Roan recently faced backlash amid online chat that falsely claimed her bodyguard left a young fan in tears. But reports now suggest the entire online drama could have been driven by bots programmed to spread misinformation.
The 91福利社鈥檚 disinformation reporter Jacqui Wakefield explains what bots are, how they work, and what the people who operate them stand to gain. State actors and governments have been linked to specific bot campaigns in the past. 91福利社 Monitoring鈥檚 Veronika Malinboym looks at some of the bot activity linked to Russia, including a campaign to undermine the Summer Olympics in Paris by spreading misinformation about a bed bugs outbreak.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
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Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producer: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden
Editor: Julia Ross-Roy
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- Tue 12 May 2026 17:50GMT91福利社 World Service News Internet
- Wed 13 May 2026 02:50GMT91福利社 World Service East and Southern Africa, South Asia, West and Central Africa & East Asia only
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