Bots and Brigading Corrupt Online Presidential Debate Polls

Reddit and 4chan users reportedly manipulated many news sites’ online polls about the first presidential debate results.

The Daily Dot reported a pro-Donald Trump Reddit community and supporters on 4chan messages boards organized efforts to manipulate the online polls of various media outlets including Time, Fortune and CNBC.

According to the report, the Reddit community of more than 200,000 subscribers shared which polls could be manipulated with bots and brigading. Users on some of 4chan’s board shared other tips like voting many times by using a browser's incognito mode.  

Some suspected Russian hackers coordinated hacking polls and making the #TrumpWon hashtag trend on Twitter. Buzzfeed reported its own poll was manipulated by a JavaScript program that allowed users to voted repeatedly. The report also said the hashtag users primarily came from the U.S.