Writing by Dr. Dannielle Blumenthal

X (formerly Twitter) has seen a proliferation of coordinated influence efforts, including smaller-scale (“mini”) operations focused on amplifying specific keywords, narratives, or breaking news stories.

These often involve networks of accounts—ranging from bots to human-operated trolls—echoing similar phrasing, memes, or links to manipulate trends, visibility, and public perception.

This isn’t entirely new; coordinated inauthentic behavior has been documented on the platform for years, including state-linked campaigns (e.g., Russian promotion of partisan content during the 2024 U.S. election cycle via cross-platform networks on X, Telegram, and others).

However, post-2022 changes under Elon Musk—such as reduced moderation teams and paid verification—have made it easier for such operations to thrive.

Researchers note increased bot activity, with networks flooding topics to game the algorithm, push disinformation, or manufacture consensus.

Key patterns observed:

• Echoing tactics: Accounts post near-identical content, replies, or hashtags in bursts to boost engagement and trends. Examples include synchronized amplification around elections, crises (e.g., COVID or geopolitical events), or controversies.

• Mini operations: Smaller, targeted campaigns (not always massive state-run farms) often tied to specific issues, like pro-Israel Hasbara efforts, anti-India narratives, or partisan U.S. topics. Some involve paid influencers or bot farms in countries like India.

• Algorithm exploitation: X’s feed prioritizes high-engagement content, rewarding repetitive, inflammatory posts. This incentivizes “engagement farming,” where accounts copy viral formats, leading to floods of similar content. Recent algo tweaks aim to reduce repetition and boost smaller accounts, but slop and coordinated spam persist.

Users frequently complain that the platform now feels dominated by low-quality, echoed content over genuine discourse—impressions chase divisive topics, with bots/trolls amplifying one-sided views. Community Notes helps counter some misinformation, but viral false narratives still rack up massive views.

Overall, while not every echoed keyword is a deliberate op, the reduced barriers have undeniably amplified these mini influence efforts, making coordinated amplification more common and visible.

(Grok AI text and image)