The plastic surgery of the digital revolution is a Twitter-follower infusion. Breast augmentation, tummy tucks and facelifts all manipulate physical assets. One of the perceived benefits to the aforementioned surgeries is an increase in self-confidence.

Our digital assets are a primary catalyst that feeds our social media reputation. Followers are a 21st-century currency that projects a company’s legitimacy, an actor’s popularity or a friend’s influence.

Twitter has been grappling with the problem of fake accounts since its inception in early 2006. The segmentation of faux accounts can be delineated into two categories: counterfeits and spam. As a new user joins Twitter, he or she is prompted to follow prominent users such as celebrities, brands, politicians and news agencies.

Unfortunately, the low barriers required to create a Twitter account have warranted the production of thousands of impostor accounts with a semi-credible handle, but an erroneous stream of tweets. These types of accounts are considered counterfeits because they often seek to satirize or corrupt the intended individual’s view.

Twitter has successfully been able to regulate these types of fake accounts by integrating visual certification badges via its Verified Accounts technology. Many users enjoy following these fake accounts due to their witty commentary or comic genius. Top fake accounts with substantial constituencies include @WilliamShatner2 or @CNNbreaking.

“Dealers” and “Abusers” are often synonymous with drug dealing or another illicit trade. The underground Twitter economy is ridden with shady businessmen looking to sell followers, favorites and retweets for monetary gain.

The reasons to exploit this revolutionary 21st-century medium are to potentially spawn a heard mentality for new followers, suggest brand legitimacy or foster a sense of popularity. This is a lucrative, burgeoning business for the dealers responsible for the artificial creation of spam Twitter accounts.

Barracuda Labs, an Internet threat analysis firm, investigated the expanse of the underground Twitter economy. It discovered that more than 20 eBay Inc. dealers and more than 100 Internet companies were leveraging Twitter followers. To obtain an influx of faux Twitter followers, the only requirement is your credit card number and your Twitter handle. The delivery of these fake followers fluctuates on the basis of number purchased and number of Twitter accounts the dealer possesses.

Social media gurus have accused the Romney campaign for potentially buying followers. Over the course of a single weekend, Romney’s Twitter followers ballooned from 673,000 to 814,000 followers. Zac Moffatt, Romney’s digital campaign director, denied that a purchase was made. The digital asset inflation also plagued President Barack Obama, as some 5.7 million of his more than 19 million followers are fake accounts.

The typical fake account has an average of 1,800 followers, a missing profile picture and no tweets of its own. Targeted fake accounts are also available as a more premium purchase. A targeted account may sport a real picture and bio that is more applicable to the specific reason of purchase. This means that if a politician bought targeted followers, the followers would outwardly seem authentic and ideologically similar.

Twitter, the unequivocal equalizer in the global media landscape, could come under siege by dirty advertisers and digital asset dealers. The citizen journalists and savants of culture have shaped the way we interact. As corrupt bots infiltrate the Twitter conversation, the usefulness of this raw glimpse into the globe’s psyche may become tarnished with corporate interests.

Today, several corporate campus representative positions are mandating the disclosure of an individual’s social media assets (i.e. number of friends, followers and Klout score) as a way to quantify an employee’s worth. Digital-asset inflation is a trend that will continue to grow with minimal headwind, but we should all be cautioned and mindful when examining one’s inflated personal assets.

Jared Rosen is a sophomore advertising and marketing management major. His column appears weekly. He can be contacted at jmrose03@syr.edu or followed on Twitter at @jaredmarc14.

Published on September 11, 2012 at 2:01 am