This video of a ‘click farm’ is both fascinating and terrifying
Writer Jamie Bartlett shared this video of a ‘click farm’ and it’s fascinating and terrifying in pretty much equal measure.
I’m completely obsessed by click farms – where thousands of machines are lined up to generate fake engagement. pic.twitter.com/NgDm4AWiCm
— Jamie Bartlett (@JamieJBartlett) March 11, 2019
Basically a meeting of the Nigel Farage fan club.
I’m reminded of this, by @rushkoff pic.twitter.com/hOO9EtvMIX
— Jamie Bartlett (@JamieJBartlett) March 12, 2019
It was shared thousands of times online by people, many of whom had questions. Lots of questions. Here’s just a flavour of the response it generated (I am not a robot. Promise).
Please expand
— Catrin Nye (@CatrinNye) March 11, 2019
Actually, please don't. Please close them all down.
— Richard Sambrook (@sambrook) March 11, 2019
yeh maybe but first explain what they are and how they work and why all the phone can't it be done cheaper? thanks.
— Catrin Nye (@CatrinNye) March 11, 2019
Phones have unique fingerprints (IMEI, OS IDs etc) that apps/ads need.
Basically people are sat there clicking ads to generate revenue for the app / website owners.
Think Veruca Salt's dad in Willy Wonka having an assembly line of workers opening chocolate but for ad clicks.
— Gareth (@NetworkString) March 11, 2019
I find it curious that they still need physical devices for this kind of fraud. Not much longer, I guess.
— Wolfgang Blau (@wblau) March 11, 2019
I always believed it was purely software based. Never imagined an array of devices actually engaging. This is what paid promotion goes on.
— 👣🎷बैन दौन्नली (@saxbend) March 12, 2019
This shit is Orwellian. 😱
— Propane Jane™ (@docrocktex26) March 12, 2019
This is the trash machine that feeds the garbage algorithms that are wrecking our democracy and daily life. https://t.co/fZImaSLij6
— Greg Pak (@gregpak) March 12, 2019
But amid the gloom, there was also this.
Never buy from a Click Farm. Use a responsible breeder. Always ask to see the mummy phone.
— Sam Elliott's 'Tache (@SamElli26207958) March 12, 2019
Is this what happens with those "we take broken phones" bins?
— lynn kale (@lynnkale) March 11, 2019
Why not adopt a rescue phone? They need love too, and there’s less risk of chip dysplasia or other defects.
— Len Discenza (@LenDiscenza) March 12, 2019
https://twitter.com/Camelworks/status/1105807336151498753
Love this, so many people, business & brands with inflated egos and sense of self importance are dependent on a few hundred phones hanging from a washing line to create an illusion for them…its genius and sad in equal measures.
— C3MHC (@C3MHC) March 11, 2019
And if you want to know more.
"This click farm from China is relatively low tech and consists of 1 individual who spends all day liking and clicking things on the mobiles."
This is very interesting – via @NetworkString > https://t.co/H5qhSD69I9 pic.twitter.com/fvHnG8aT5z
— Catrin Nye (@CatrinNye) March 12, 2019
