online organized disinformation campaigns are not a new phenomena in the Libya cyber-space, but definitely something to watch out for as elections approach So what are “sock puppet accounts”?
A sock puppet account is a fake social media account that spreads misleading and deliberate deception based on the identity of someone else. Often, the disinformation narratives they spread are linked to a state actor, or align with a state actor’s views.
They also like to amplify other accounts in the same network through likes/follows/RTs, or pages on Libyan affairs .
An easy way to identify them? They usually were created after 2020, and very often use women profile pic to gain more followers
While these Twitter sock puppet accounts don’t have much reach so far, they are part of an ongoing campaign targeting Libya and the region, and they could amplify as elections approach, so keep your eyes open .
