GE2025: Bot spreading hate on social media

AsiaOne

30-04-2025

During the general elections, it's easy to get swept up in the excitement — not just at rallies and candidate walkabouts, but on social media too.
At the same time, it is crucial to exercise caution when consuming information.
Anonymous social media profiles have been spotted leaving hate comments on General Election 2025-related posts.
Often times, these are not by real people, but social media bots. According to an article by Microsoft in June 2024, these are automated programmes designed to mimic human users and interact with other accounts.
While there are bots which serve a purpose, such as search engine bots and chat bots, there are also malicious ones designed with ill intent.
On April 22, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) said it is looking into these accounts.
They noted that these accounts were set up recently and appear to target different political parties.
"We will continue to monitor the online space for foreign interference and will act on content that is in breach of our laws. We urge the public to be discerning consumers of information," said MDDI. Differentiating bad actors from real people
While MDDI is trying to put a stop to these bots, we can help ourselves by learning how to differentiate between genuine social media accounts and malicious bots.
In the abovementioned article by Microsoft, the tech company shared that one giveaway is "unhuman-like behaviour", such as automated responses and lack of personal engagement.
These social media accounts may also display a sudden increase in followers and share spam or irrelevant content such as advertisements and suspicious links.
Another indicator is the profile leaving identical posts or comments across multiple accounts. Excessive use of hashtags or promotional links is also a red flag.
AsiaOne's social media pages have also been targeted by suspected bots.
One suspicious profile left similar comments on numerous AsiaOne's Facebook posts asking netizens to vote for the People's Action Party.
Despite its strong opinions about the elections, the account states that it is from Wonderland Forest, Virginia.
Fortunately, some users have caught on to such dubious accounts.
One user said: "Lots of fake accounts popping up."
Another asked: "Oh, and we can trust a profile with only one friend?"
In their own research, CNA discovered over 900 inauthentic accounts posting more than 5,000 comments in an estimated one-day period, shared an article on April 29.
This was after the government first alerted the public to foreigners posting online election advertisements urging Singaporeans to vote along religious lines.
Fifteen of the inauthentic accounts posted between 30 and over 70 comments each, while around 290 of them posted only a single comment.
Additionally, 26.9 per cent of the inauthentic comments were classified as anti-opposition attacks, 23.9 per cent as religious and political controversy, and 19.1 per cent as anti-establishment and conspiracy.
The remaining comments had themes like racial and minority issues, and calls for religious neutrality. How to tell?
Suspect something is not right? Here are a few steps you can take to determine if the account is truly a bot. Examine profile details
Profiles lacking personal information or photos may be bots.
Bots often use generic names and profile pictures. Check activity patterns and review engagement quality
Bot accounts typically have consistent posting frequencies and times, often generating a high volume of content.
When interacting with other profiles, they may leave generic comments or repetitive responses. Analyse content quality
If the content quality is low or irrelevant, it may be a bot.
Excessive use of hashtags and promotional links are a tell-tale sign, too.
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