astroturfing

frankieleon

No, AT&T, Comcast, And Verizon Are Not Suddenly In Favor Of Net Neutrality

Today’s net neutrality day of action has brought out all the usual suspects in favor of keeping the internet free and accessible, but a few unexpected names have shown up today, too. Along with companies like Google, Netflix, Twitter, Facebook, and Amazon, we’re suddenly seeing AT&T, Comcast, and a couple of telecom lobbying groups out in front, claiming they love net neutrality. But is it true?

Spoiler: Nope. [More]

FCC

FCC Has No Interest In Figuring Out Who Filed Fake Anti-Neutrality Comments In Your Name

Usually if your identity is stolen, there’s something you can do about it: Call a business, file a dispute over a charge, or contact law enforcement. But if someone “borrows” your identity to file a fake comment with an open government proceeding — like, say, the one in progress to kill off net neutrality — there may be diddly squat you can do. [More]

FCC

People Whose Names Were Used In Anti-Net Neutrality Spam Want FCC To Investigate

FCC Chair Ajit Pai recently shrugged off concerns about the hundreds of thousands of bogus, identical anti-net neutrality comments filed with the Commission, saying it was something for his IT folks to look into. But the real human beings whose names were used on those fake filings are not as indifferent, and are calling on Pai to investigate. [More]

Mr.TinDC

Comcast-Connected “Grassroots” Effort Claims Set-Top Box Competition Will Harm Diversity

With the FCC prepping to vote on new rules that aim to break up cable companies’ monopolies on set-top boxes, the pay-TV industry is fighting back with an astroturfing campaign that tries to make the case that having more choices in set-top boxes will somehow harm diversity in TV programming. [More]

The notice posted Monday night to the GEBN.org website.

Coke-Funded Anti-Obesity Group Goes The Way Of Crystal Pepsi

The Global Energy Balance Network, a supposed anti-obesity organization that was heavily criticized for not only receiving more than $1 million from Coca-Cola but for attempting to downplay the role of sugary drinks in the current obesity epidemic, has vanished from the Earth like a failed new soda product. [More]

E-Mails Show That Anti-Obesity Group Was Really Just Publicity Machine For Coke

E-Mails Show That Anti-Obesity Group Was Really Just Publicity Machine For Coke

Amid accusations that its Global Energy Balance Network was little more than a Coca-Cola-funded shill using real doctors to downplay the role of sugary drinks in the current obesity epidemic, the University of Colorado School of Medicine recently returned a $1 million donation to the beverage biggie. But newly revealed e-mails show the direct influence that Coke bought with this supposed anti-obesity organization. [More]

(Josh Bassett)

Lawmakers Receiving Anti-Net Neutrality Messages From People Who Never Sent Them

In the wake of the FCC’s vote to adopt the new net neutrality rule, Americans of every stripe have bombarded their lawmakers with feedback. Some applaud the rule; others condemn the action. And that is all well and good: it’s the American system of democracy at work, exactly as designed. [More]

A site called "The Connectivist" tries to argue that U.S. broadband isn't really as bad as it might look, but the site's motives are questionable, since it's a "partner" of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association.

Here’s The Latest Bit Of Astroturfing From The Cable Industry About Broadband Speeds

Once again, the latest survey of the current state of broadband around the globe [PDF] shows that, while improving, the U.S. still lags behind other developed countries, like South Korea, Japan, Switzerland, Latvia, and Romania in average broadband speeds and access to decent Internet. But leave it to the cable industry to try to convince America that everything is A-OK, and to try to do so without mentioning that this message is being brought to you by the cable industry. [More]

Samsung Fined Because You Can’t Hire Writers To Say Mean Things Online About Competitors

Samsung Fined Because You Can’t Hire Writers To Say Mean Things Online About Competitors

Remember when Taiwan started investigating Samsung after a slew of mean comments about HTC started appearing online? Authorities there have decided that yes, Samsung was indeed paying writers to tear its competitor down while also writing glowing things to build Samsung’s phones up in the eyes of online commenters. [More]

(chickendmb)

New York A.G. Investigation Uncovers 19 Companies That Faked Positive Yelp Reviews

New York’s Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman offered up a doozy of an accomplishment yesterday, revealing that 19 companies had agreed to pay fines for writing fake online reviews for their businesses, and will be shelling out more than $350,000 in penalties. And of course, since the practice of churning out false reviews is called “astroturfing,” the year-long investigation run by Schneiderman was called “Operation Clean Turf.” [More]

Company Retaliates For Bad Game Review With… Bad Reviews Of Reviewer's Novel

Company Retaliates For Bad Game Review With… Bad Reviews Of Reviewer's Novel

Writer Mike Murdock published a fantasy novel in 2008 that had a sudden uptick in reviews on Amazon.com a few weeks ago. Why the sudden popularity? Was it reviewed somewhere prominent? Made part of Oprah’s Book Club? Tweeted by Roger Ebert? Not exactly. Murdock also reviews video games, and recently published a very unfavorable review of the new Sega/High Voltage Software Wii game Conduit 2 on Joystiq. A High Voltage employee then sent a link to the book’s Amazon page to co-workers, urging them to read Murdock’s book and “return the favor.” Well, if a one-star review calling the book “below fan-fiction garbage” is a favor.
[More]

PepsiCo Buys Its Way Onto Science Blog Network As A Food Nutrition Expert

PepsiCo Buys Its Way Onto Science Blog Network As A Food Nutrition Expert

Update #2: On Thursday morning, July 8th, ScienceBlogs contributor PZ Myers posted that the founder and CEO of Seed Media (which owns the blog network) has announced that the PepsiCo sponsored blog has been removed–although as of this update (10:44 am EST July 8th) it’s still online. [More]

Chicagoist Catches Walmart Astroturfing As Populist Local Group

Chicagoist Catches Walmart Astroturfing As Populist Local Group

Kevin Robinson at the blog Chicagoist was curious about a commenter who sounded suspiciously on-message on some recent Walmart posts. Walmart wants to come into Chicago, and Walmart’s opponents are fighting the retailer at the community level to prevent that. In return, a pro-Walmart community group has formed called “Our Community, Your Choice” that argues, “Everyone else but Chatham and the South Side are making the decisions – It’s OUR CHOICE, NOT THEIRS.” [More]

Get Virtual Game Cash For Health Reform Astroturfing

Get Virtual Game Cash For Health Reform Astroturfing

Don’t want to fork over actual cash or start a shady “free” trial in order to get sweet, sweet virtual currency for your favorite game on Facebook or MySpace? Well, you could always take a health care survey that pays you to tell your representatives in Congress how opposed you are to health care reform. Mmm, smell that astroturf! [More]

Is AT&T Behind Grassroots Groups That Are Opposed To Net Neutrality?

Is AT&T Behind Grassroots Groups That Are Opposed To Net Neutrality?

In the net neutrality debate, there are a surprising number of grassroots organizations (well, surprising to me at any rate) that have filed statements against the FCC’s recent draft of rules. Matthew Lasar at Ars Technica just published an interesting article where he looks at some of these groups and tries to figure out whether AT&T is secretly influencing them, or whether they really do think net neutrality will hurt those they represent–frequently minority groups–in the long run.

Why Even Bad Online Reviews Can Increase Sales

Why Even Bad Online Reviews Can Increase Sales

We’re generally quite critical of companies that try to squelch negative online reviews, astroturf them, or just bribe customers for positive ones. Not only is this behavior bad for consumers, but the experience of one company shows that it’s bad for businesses, too.

How To Avoid A Bad Hotel …Review

How To Avoid A Bad Hotel …Review

Finding a bad place to stay can ruin a trip, or even your entire impression of a city. Lacking personal recommendations, you may turn to online reviews to help you find a place to stay. But how can you tell shill reviews from real ones? Other than an air of general fakeness, AOL Travel tells you what to look for in hotel reviews specifically.

How To Identify Astroturfers And Front Groups

How To Identify Astroturfers And Front Groups

Everyone likes to hate on spammers, but they’re basically the houseflies of the Internet. Far more insidious and damaging are astroturfers and front groups—those corporate-funded, agenda-pushing people who don’t disclose who they’re really working for while they participate in online culture and the media. The Center for Media and Democracy has put together a list of tips to help you identify them from real grassroots movements, while Free Press has created a widget that reveals front groups for five large companies you frequently see on Consumerist.