The Deceitful Act of Astroturfing

Lucas Rogers

lr826917@ohio.edu

What is Astroturfing?

Dictionary.com defines astroturfing as "the deceptive tactic of simulating grassroots support for a product, cause, etc., undertaken by people or organizations with an interest in shaping public opinion." A play on the term "grassroots movement" due to the hypothetical grass being fake. 

What Is The Point?

The point of astroturfing is to present a product, service or movement as being highly sought after by a certain customer base as a way to build up excitement for it, all while misleading the people being targeted. This practice is used by businesses, political groups, advertisers etc. and we see it on all different platforms. It is a practice that happens all around by so-called "trusted sources" and usually has no repercussions for being caught in the act. 

Source: News Literacy Project

Where We See It

Although it began in newspapers, (usually to stir up some relevant political drama) astroturfing is now found mostly online through simple blog posts and comment sections. According to this article, up to one-third of all online reviews are found to be false by some form of astroturfing. Many Western countries now regulate highly deceptive forms of astroturfing in an attempt to control the spread of it. Despite these regulations, we still see many get away with it. Many businesses have experienced significant damage or loss in profit as a result of astroturfing. 

How To Spot Astroturfing

Because there are many different forms of astroturfing, there are many different ways to spot it. This article by Sharyl Attkisson shows just a few of them, I suggest taking a look into the article so that you can avoid becoming a victim of astroturfing yourself. 

• One of the most common indications tends to be how dramatized the description of the product, service or movement is. Typically using flashy words, figurative language and hyperbole to convince the viewers just how great this thing really is.  
  
• Another indicator of astroturfing is most have many defense mechanisms when they are on the verge of being found out as fake. They tend to describe other things as "fake news" or "agenda driven" as a way of protecting their image. Most are very protective of their beliefs and will do everything in their power to convince you they are telling the truth. 
• It never hurts to look into what you are reading or watching. Look up more information on the company or political campaign that is trying to convince you of something. Do they have a credible history? Are they reliable? Who has backed them in the past? All questions that should be considered. If the claim is from a forum or comment section, I suggest taking a deeper dive into the topic and educating yourself on what the claim is. 

Take these ideals into consideration and good luck on detecting any astroturfing you may come across in the future!