• irreticent@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    You seem to be joking but it actually is well documented.

    • The 50 Cent Party, or 50 Cent Army, is the colloquial term for Internet commentators, who are hired by Chinese authorities in an attempt to manipulate public opinion to the benefit of the Chinese Communist Party. It was created during the early phases of the Internet’s rollout to the wider public in China.

    The name is derived from the fact that such commentators are reportedly paid RMB¥0.50 for every post.

    • awwwyissss@lemm.ee
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      5 months ago

      Thanks, I hadn’t heard of them. Thought this was interesting:

      Authors of a paper published in 2017 in the American Political Science Review estimate that the Chinese government fabricates 488 million social media posts per year.

      Now with increased focus on social media and LLMs I’d be surprised if it isn’t well into the billions.