"Oh no the Skinner box we built to exploit and manipulate people is being used to exploit and manipulate people!"
"But why is that-"
"Because OTHER people are doing it!"
"Oh no!"
"But why is that-"
"Because OTHER people are doing it!"
"Oh no!"
Social networks tolerate fake traffic because it increases their perceived value. The real crime is the fictive usage and engagement metrics they use to set ad pricing.
> target misleading messages based on material stolen in the Russian hack of Democratic National Committee servers
Facebook is a publicly traded company. It may have novel negative externalities, but we're largely comfortable with its impact: maximizing shareholder value. When Facebook manipulates us, we feel we can hold it accountable as an institution. We're wrong, but we're complacent. With these mystery accounts, we're out of our depth. We do not know "cui bono," and that's eerie.