“A joke is circulating these days on WhatsApp chains: an angry man shouts at his computer: ‘What do you mean it’s a hoax, if it’s what I think!’ Hoaxes appeal to our feelings and convictions, and that may be why they are so successful. But they are not always a spontaneous phenomenon: they are also manufactured, have political and social intent, and specific campaigns are designed.[…]

This classification is accepted by network analysts. Selva Orejón, judicial expert, digital investigation specialist and executive director of OnBranding, provides data on the existence of genuine hoax factories, of which she has located at least three, based in Saint Petersburg, Chile and Argentina. She describes how they operate: “imagine a call center, with people working with phone SIM cards or email accounts, who schedule posts using manual tools they create themselves, or commercial ones, in order to reach many people by generating retweets and likes. It’s about creating activity as if they were a real person.”

The most disturbing aspect is the low cost of spreading false news. Orejón points out that a hoax campaign lasting one week can cost around 600 euros, but countering it will range from 2,500 to 3,500 euros, depending on how many people the information has reached. “It’s cost-effective,” she explains.»

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