A security loophole on Facebook has allowed about a million accounts which are real and fake which able to generate at least 100 million “likes” and comments to manipulate online social reputation.
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Facebook Loophole
The researchers, from the University of Iowa in the US and Lahore University of Management Science in Pakistan, found some sites operate ‘collusion networks’, which rapidly generate likes for free. Facebook posts that receive a lot of likes are more likely to be placed higher in other people’s feeds.This means that users with fake likes can ultimately generate significantly more attention and influence.
Researchers said,”In order to participate, users have to grant the networks wide-ranging access to their accounts so that those accounts can be harnessed to like others”.They tracked the collision networks in the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election, but could not say whether the networks were used to boost posts to benefit or hurt candidates, the ‘CBS News’ reported.The team also warns the exploit can be used for darker purposes than just gathering extra likes.
Such collision network has now been blocked, according to Facebook.Facebook Spokesperson said,”We have addressed the activity described in this research and we are no longer seeing it on our platform”.
