Bot networks

A bot network is a coordinated system of automated accounts that simulate human behavior on digital platforms, operating as a distributed amplifier for messages that would otherwise lack the social proof to propagate. Unlike individual spam accounts, bot networks exploit the topology of social networks to create artificial consensus, manipulating the information environment by manufacturing the appearance of grassroots support or organic virality. The persistence of bot networks reveals a structural vulnerability in platform architecture: any system that rewards engagement can be gamed by entities that simulate engagement at scale. Their evolution from simple scripts to sophisticated machine learning systems has made them a central challenge for network science and platform governance.