Fake Facebook 'Like' Networks Exploited Code Flaw To Create Millions of Bogus 'Likes'

A thriving ecosystem of websites that allow users to automatically generate millions of fake "likes" and comments on Facebook has been documented by researchers at the University of Iowa. From a report: Working with a computer scientist at Facebook and one in Lahore, Pakistan, the team found more than 50 sites offering free, fake "likes" for users' posts in exchange for access to their accounts, which were used to falsely "like" other sites in turn. The scientists found that these "collusion networks" run by spammers have managed to harness the power of one million Facebook accounts, producing as many as 100 million fake "likes" on the systems between 2015 and 2016. A large number of "likes" can push a posting up in Facebook's algorithm, making it more likely the post will be seen by more people and also making it seem more legitimate.

Makes sense...

[thomn8r]

Goes along with their millions of fake users

Re:

[hey!]

To say nothing of hundreds of millions of real users with idiotic opinions.

Any man more right than his neighbors is a majority of one.

-- Henry David Throreau

Re:

[sexconker]

Then Thoreau is a moron. It's absolutely possible to be more right than the dumb fucks on either side of you.

Re:

[hey!]

By a "majority of one" Thoreau didn't mean literally a majority. What he means is that a majority of people around you can't overrule your personal conscience.

More like goes along with CYA...

[denzacar]

Like... just as "representatives of Facebook" had to come out to the congressional investigation [washingtonpost.com] that they've "discovered" [fb.com] that they've sold "roughly 3,000 ads", from June of 2015 to May of 2017, for "approximately $100,000" to "about 470 inauthentic accounts and Pages" which were "affiliated with one another and likely operated out of Russia."...

...their "computer scientist at Facebook" found these ""collusion networks" run by spammers" (not Facebook mind you... not their fault) "producing as many

Re:

[sexconker]

Tell me more about this rug smuggling.
Have you priced out a decent sized area rug lately?

Personally...

[nospam007]

I like it.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

I always 'like' every post that shows up. Some people get really offended if you don't 'like' their posts and I really don't want to piss people off - kind of goes against the whole point of having a FB account. Once a day, usually after work and before dinner, I just go through and hit like on everything. It would be awesome if there was a 'like all' button - I'd even pay a few bucks to have the option on my account.

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[sexconker]

Found the cat owner.

This sounds like fake news

[tomhath]

I haven't seen it on Facebook, so it must have been filtered.

Alternate Headline

[JohnFen]

Fake Facebook 'Like' Networks Render Meaningless 'Likes' Even More Meaningless.

Like, who cares?

[Viol8]

Seriously, does anyone over the age of 20 actually take any public posts on facebook at face value regardless of the number of likes they have? The wisdom of crowds is BS anyway - look at the endless succession of end-of-the-pier no hopers who win TV "talent" contests.

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[tsa]

I often 'like' things just to show that I've seen them.

Bogus?

[nospam007]

All Likes are bogus.