Many of the Chinese bots X says posted anti-data-center content had no followers or engagement, a researcher found
A Clemson researcher found that at least 59 of the bots had no followers or engagement and only posted a few times before they were suspended.
A Clemson University researcher has found that many of the Chinese bot accounts purportedly posting anti-data center content on X (formerly Twitter) had no followers or engagement, rendering their impact on the debate essentially negligible. Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images reported that X uncovered 200 suspected Chinese bots engaging in anti-data center rhetoric.
However, according to Darren Linvill, a Clemson researcher, at least 59 of those bots had zero engagement. Linvill discovered this by analyzing data from suspended X accounts using a platform that retains such data. The bots primarily used a single hashtag, "capacityauction," which Linvill identified as a key marker of the bot accounts.
Most of these accounts were created in January and each posted only two to three times before being suspended by X. The researcher emphasized that while China may be attempting to influence the American public's perception of data centers, their efforts have not been successful in moving the needle in the broader data center debate.
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