While Twitter had previously suspended 40 percent of the primary 55 hate accounts, according to Bot Sentinel, the accounts were employing methods like including “parody” in their profile bios or using coded racist language to avoid penalty. Bot Sentinel used Twitter accounts that were not followed or friends to conduct the investigation. However, this didn’t stop the platform from taking note of their Twitter habits. The report noted that Twitter’s algorithm started suggesting many hate accounts after it had seen two hate accounts. “Twitter recommended that we follow these hate accounts on multiple occasions.”
According to the report, “Our research revealed that only a small number of single-purpose antiMeghan or Harry accounts created and disseminated most hatredful content on Twitter.” However, the primary accounts had access to assistance that allowed their content be repackaged and shared with accounts with a substantial following. We saw the primary accounts coordinate their activities and use various techniques to avoid detection. The majority of anti-Meghan/Harry activity was not organic.
Christopher Bouzy, founder of Bot Sentinel, attributed an immediate change they saw online to the report. He said that they saw a marked decrease in activity targeting Meghan and Harry within a matter of minutes after publishing the report. tweeted. “If the activity was organic, it is highly unlikely that we would have seen such a sharp decline in such a short time.”
He also wanted to distinguish between “a group accounts that just say’mean stuff'” and the accounts they were referring to. Bouzy wrote that “they are single-purpose account dedicated to creating hateful and often fictional content meant to deceive,” and that they openly coordinate on Twitter.