As Australia's Voice referendum gathers momentum, musician John Farnham has become an unwitting focal point of a disinformation campaign aimed at stoking division, reports the AFR
A likely network of bots, supported by human users, is targeting Farnham's 1986 hit 'You’re the Voice,' which the artist granted for free use to the Yes campaign.
The attack came to light when a malicious X account tweeted a highly inflammatory message featuring Farnham, Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx, and accrued 15,000 views and substantial engagement.
Internet 2.0's bot detection platform, 5th Column, flagged the X account @Respect_Oz as a probable bot with a score of 73 out of 100.
Urgency for verification system
Internet 2.0’s co-chief executive David Robinson revealed to the AFR the typical modus operandi of such networks.
"Then they’ll boost and amplify that account with bots," Robinson stated.
Robinson emphasised the urgency for a verification system, especially during electoral periods.
"It’s just to make both sides hate each other," he added.
Coordinated inauthentic behaviour
Internet 2.0’s 5th Column platform has flagged various accounts as likely bots involved in both the Yes and No campaigns, raising concerns about the potential for coordinated inauthentic behaviour (CIB).
This activity coincides with recent analysis identifying extremist groups disseminating misleading information related to the Voice referendum across several platforms.
The campaign, initially limited in scale, bears the potential for expansive coordinated inauthentic behaviour, posing serious implications for the democratic process.