An orchestrated campaign to stoke tensions over Target’s rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives deployed fake accounts to flood social media with manufactured outrage, a new report claims.
Israeli tech firm Cyabra analyzed thousands of posts on social media platform X from Jan. 1 to April 21 as shoppers vented over Target’s pullback and activists organized grassroots boycotts. It determined that 27% of the social media accounts it sampled were fake and “contributed significantly to the viral backlash.” Inauthentic sentiment surged 764% after Target’s announcement to roll back some diversity programs, Cyabra found.
The accounts impersonating Black users actively promoted calls to boycott Target, using trending hashtags such as #EconomicBlackout. Some posts accused Target of “bending the knee” to President Donald Trump, others pushed specific campaigns such as “Target Fast” or “40-day boycott” to persuade people to stop shopping at Target.
Cyabra analysts, who use artificial intelligence to identify fake accounts, also uncovered profiles posing as “conservative” voices who mocked the Target boycott. These accounts claimed they already boycott Target over its “woke” policies.
While Cyabra said it did not find clear evidence that this was also a rigged campaign to dupe Target shoppers, exploiting political and cultural divisions is a common tactic by influence operations. Similar tactics have been used against other major brands including Nike, Costco and Starbucks, Cyabra spokeswoman Jill Burkes said.
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The backlash against DEI gained momentum during the 2024 presidential campaign but hit a fever pitch when Trump took office and issued a series of executive orders aimed at eliminating “illegal DEI” in the federal government and the private sector.
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