Bots and bot networks have become a major issue on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Telegram. These malicious bots can be used to generate fake engagement, spread misinformation, and carry out cyber attacks. Let’s take a look at some important statistics that highlight the impact of bots on social media.
Facebook:
- Facebook has an estimated 6.7 million fake accounts, according to its own estimates.
- In 2020, Facebook removed over 1.3 billion fake accounts.
- Facebook has also reported that up to 5% of its monthly active users are fake accounts or bots.
Twitter:
- Twitter estimates that 5% of its users are fake accounts or bots.
- In 2020, Twitter removed 373,000 accounts that violated its policies related to platform manipulation and spam.
- Twitter has also reported that bots make up a significant portion of the traffic on its platform, with one study estimating that up to 15% of Twitter users are bots.
- Elon Musk, after buying Twitter in 2022, has vowed to drastically reduce the number of bots on Twitter, but it is unclear how successful he has been thus far.
Instagram:
- Instagram has over 1 billion active users, and it is estimated that up to 15% of those users are bots.
- One study found that bots accounted for up to 50% of all comments on popular Instagram posts.
- Instagram has taken steps to combat bots, such as implementing machine learning algorithms to detect and remove fake accounts.
Telegram:
- Telegram is a popular messaging app that has over 500 million active users.
- In 2020, Telegram reported that it had removed over 350,000 fake accounts and bots.
- Telegram has implemented various measures to combat bots, such as limiting the number of messages that can be sent in a short period of time.
These statistics highlight the significant impact that bots and bot networks can have on social media platforms. These malicious bots can be used to manipulate engagement, spread misinformation, and carry out cyber attacks. Social media companies have taken steps to combat bots, but the problem persists. As a user of these platforms, it’s important to be aware of the prevalence of bots and to take steps to protect yourself from their malicious activities.