Election Committee Rules Bots and Fake Accounts Must Disclose Identity
Translated & summarized from Davar by baba
The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, ruled that election propaganda distributed via bots or fake accounts must disclose the operating entity. This decision followed a petition alleging the Likud party and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used such methods. While the petition was dismissed due to insufficient evidence, Sohlberg clarified that any amplified propaganda from unidentifiable accounts requires disclosure for public evaluation.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Election Committee Chairman Noam Sohlberg ruled bots and fake accounts must disclose their identity.
- The ruling requires candidates and parties to identify entities operating propaganda accounts.
- A petition against Likud and PM Netanyahu over alleged bot use was dismissed for lack of evidence.
- Sohlberg stressed that amplified propaganda from unidentifiable accounts is an election ad requiring disclosure.
- Bots and fake accounts can create a false impression of public support or spontaneous discourse.
The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, ruled on Friday that candidates and parties using bots or fake accounts for election propaganda must identify the entity operating them. The decision came after a petition by the Movement for Freedom of Information, which alleged that the Likud party and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were using fake accounts and bots to amplify their election messages. The movement argued these accounts were operated for payment, thus requiring transparency under election law.
Sohlberg dismissed the petition, stating insufficient evidence was presented to prove Likud or Netanyahu operated such accounts. However, he emphasized that amplifying election propaganda through an account not bearing the candidate's name, including a fake account or bot, constitutes an election advertisement requiring identification. He stressed that revealing the entity responsible for propaganda is crucial for the public to evaluate its content.
Bots are automated social media accounts that can publish, share, and comment on content extensively. Fake accounts are operated by humans. Coordinated use of such networks can increase exposure to political messages and create a false impression of broad public support or spontaneous discourse, when in fact a single entity is behind it, potentially influencing online discourse without users knowing the source.
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