Disney Accused of Using Russian-Like Tactics To Boost Popularity

Think all the way back to 2016. It was a much simpler time, or so we thought. There was no Covid pandemic, but we still faced many of the same problems that we face today. It was during the election of 2016 that we first started to hear about the Russian disinformation campaign. The Russians were accused of using bots on social media sites to help promote the campaign of Donald Trump and hurt the campaign of Hillary Clinton. 

In terms of what the Russians have been accused of in the past seven years, using Twitter (now X) to spread disinformation seems pretty tame. But for an American company, the last thing you want to hear is that you are accused of using Russian-like tactics to spread disinformation or boost your popularity. But now, the Walt Disney Company is facing these accusations.

According to a poll conducted on X by Giant Freakin’ Robot, many of the social media platform users believe that Disney is involved in “suspicious, even fraudulent behavior.” Users are accusing Disney of using fake accounts, known online as “sock-puppets,” to help boost the popularity of some of its franchises, including Star Wars. 

The poll showed that nearly 60 percent of those who responded believe that almost 75 percent of the accounts that posted positive information about Disney are fake. These accounts show a disproportionately positive view of the Walt Disney Company, and as the website points out, not every Disney fan agrees with what the company does 100 percent of the time.

After the 2016 election, X (Twitter at that time) promised that it would crack down on fake accounts, sock-puppets, and bots, and for a while, it successfully halted the spread of misinformation. However, after Elon Musk took over the platform, most of the staff in charge of stemming the flow of misinformation were fired. This allowed the flow of misinformation and bot accounts to continue unabated.

Disney could use an account to help sway public opinion, and the Walt Disney Company can use all the help it can get lately. Disney has been under attack on social media platforms for several transgressions. Disney has frequently been accused of having gone “woke” for some of its casting decisions and inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters in its films.

The Walt Disney Company and Disney CEO Bob Iger are battling with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

It should be noted that these are just accusations made by users on X. However, if true, it would breach public trust and Disney fans’ trust. The Disney fan should be able to make up their mind about the quality of Disney content without being bombarded by the positive quality of it on social media. And if Disney has been doing this, it’s not working that well, as their last several movies have bombed.

We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.