Boycott Conversation Hides Coordinated Inauthentic Layer
A recent retail boycott targeting several major brands has been found to have a coordinated inauthentic layer beneath its surface. Cyabra's analysis of conversations on Facebook, X, and Instagram revealed that 12.6% of profiles engaging with the boycott conversation were fake or manipulated.
The analysis showed that Amazon, Home Depot, and Starbucks carried the highest inauthentic share among all brands targeted by the boycott, roughly 2.4 times higher than Walmart's rate.
These inauthentic accounts would move between brands, clustering under high-reach posts and using generic hashtags to inflate their visibility. On Instagram, this strategy was particularly effective, with fake accounts earning a disproportionate share of engagement compared to their numbers.
The analysis also found that these inauthentic accounts were not isolated to one platform or brand, but rather operated across multiple platforms and brands, adapting their behavior to maximize their impact.