A cruel and coordinated hate campaign, with the intention of spreading misinformation about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, is being investigated by Twitter.
A new report from independent analysis firm, Bot Sentinel, unearthed that of 114,000 tweets about the couple, Meghan received 80% of the abuse – 70% of which came from 83 accounts (many of which appeared to have the sole purpose of spreading misinformation about the Sussexes).
"Our analysis allowed us to isolate 55 single-purpose accounts we identified as the primary hate accounts and 28 secondary hate accounts that mainly amplified the primary accounts," the report explains. Combined, the accounts have a total of 187,631 followers, which Bot Sentinel estimate reach a "a combined unique potential reach of 17 million users".
Christopher Bouzy, Bot Sentinel's Chief Executive, told BuzzFeed News the anti-Meghan Twitter campaign was unlike anything his team had seen before. "There’s no motive," he said. "[Who] are these people who hate her? Is it racism? Are they trying to hurt [Harry and Meghan’s] credibility? Your guess is as good as ours."
Bouzy also added, "This campaign comes from people who know how to manipulate the algorithms, manipulate Twitter, stay under the wire to avoid detection and suspension. This level of complexity comes from people who know how to do this stuff, who are paid to do this stuff."
He later tweeted that eight accounts have been suspended and four have been deactivated.
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Now, Twitter have said they will investigate the digital attack against the couple with a spokesperson telling press Twitter is "actively investigating the information and accounts referenced in this report — we will take action on accounts that violate the Twitter Rules."
The darker side of social media is something that both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have discussed publicly in the past, with Meghan saying the reason she avoids Twitter and Instagram is for her "own self-preservation". The couple signed off from their accounts back in March 2020, when they officially exited their roles as senior working members of the royal family.
Prince Harry also penned an essay titled 'Social media is dividing us. Together, we can redesign it' for Fast Company, expressing his concerns for a world in which social media can easily turn toxic. The Duke said his fears have only intensified since becoming a father to Archie, 2, and now a daughter, Lilibet, four months.
He also expressed concern that social media is leading to more people becoming radicalised: "Social media’s own algorithms and recommendation tools can drive people down paths towards radicalism and extremism that they might not have taken otherwise."
He also touched upon 'fake news' and said better regulated systems need putting in place to ensure the information that we consume is factually accurate. "There are billions of people right now – in the midst of a global pandemic – who rely on algorithmically-driven information feeds to make judgments about fact vs. fiction, about truth vs. lies."
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
