Cyabra's Nasdaq Listing: Read More Here

A Bumpy Road: Bots Attack Autonomous Car Waymo

Google’s self-driving car company, Waymo, has recently encountered a series of collision incidents that have raised safety concerns and led to a product recall. 

Criticism towards Waymo has erupted on social media when the recall was announced. Cyabra uncovered that 13% of accounts in the conversation were fake, demonstrating the significant impact of bots on online discourse and brand reputation. 

Online Discourse the Hard Way(mo)

Waymo, the autonomous driving subsidiary of Google, is one of the companies at the forefront of innovation in transportation technology.

However, recent incidents have highlighted challenges in this pursuit. After a voluntary recall of 444 self-driving vehicles after two minor collisions in quick succession in Arizona, Cyabra studied the increase in critical online discourse, and discovered a major part of it was led by fake accounts.

Cyabra scanned 1,287 X (Twitter) profiles that interacted with the phrase “Waymo” between January 19 and February 19 and discovered that 13% of them were fake. These fake accounts were mostly active from February 13 – the day that Waymo filed a voluntary recall report of their vehicle software – onward. The most active day for fake profiles was February 14, the day after the recall was announced.  

The conversation about Waymo spiked on February 13, the day the recall was announced.
The conversation about Waymo spiked after February 13, the day the recall was announced.

The fake profiles posted content that related to the recall: they shared images of Waymo’s vehicles burning, and asserted that the cars lacked the professionalism to operate autonomously, portraying the company as irresponsible. Below are some of posts created by fake profiles. 

37% of the conversation about Waymo was generated by fake profiles. The fake profiles amplified negative discourse, making it appear much bigger than it actually was, and causing the negative trend to rise and reach new audiences. The fake profiles’ posts reached over 522,000 potential views.

Bucking the Bots

As Waymo navigates the aftermath of recent incidents and grapples with safety concerns and regulatory scrutiny, it finds itself under attack by fake accounts spreading negative discourse and skepticism. The emergence of fake accounts amplifying negativity underscores the need for heightened vigilance and innovative crisis management strategies among companies facing public scrutiny. 

As brands like Waymo confront the very real challenges of brand reputation risks during times when online bots are easier than ever to purchase and operate, it becomes imperative to use sophisticated tools and technologies to identify and mitigate the impact of fake profiles on public perception. For insights into smarter crisis management tools and detecting fake profiles, Contact Cyabra. 

Related posts

Hundreds of Millions Exposed to Pro-Trump Fake Profiles 

Over the course of two months, Cyabra has researched conversations about the upcoming presidential elections, and uncovered two pro-Trump campaigns, led by fake profiles, which...

Rotem Baruchin

October 8, 2024

What Makes Fake Profiles Effective? A New Research by Cyabra

A new analysis by Cyabra studied some of the most effective fake campaigns in the past year, and discovered that fake profiles impersonating women were...

Rotem Baruchin

October 7, 2024

Why Social Listening is Important For Companies

Social media has revolutionized the way companies connect with their customers, making it easier than ever to get feedback on their products and services in...

Rotem Baruchin

October 7, 2024

Strategies for the Public Sector to Combat Social Media Disinformation

The spread of disinformation and misinformation is one of the biggest challenges governments face around the world, making it difficult for them to protect the...

Rotem Baruchin

October 7, 2024

How Individuals Can Identify and Protect Themselves From Fake News on Social Media

Fake news refers to fabricated information that’s spread with the intent to deceive the population. Although false stories have been disseminated throughout human history, the...

Rotem Baruchin

October 6, 2024

How to Grow Your Business and Stay Competitive Using Social Media Insights

Social media has allowed everyone on the planet to openly share their thoughts and opinions. Over time, companies have noticed that tracking public sentiment on...

Rotem Baruchin

October 5, 2024

Faking an honest woman: Why Russia, China and Big Tech all use faux females to get clicks

Faking an honest woman: Why Russia, China and Big Tech all use faux females to get clicks

Rotem Baruchin

June 20, 2024

Battle of the bots: Trump trial

Rotem Baruchin

June 20, 2024

The Evolution of Disinformation Tactics: From Roman Empire to the Modern Age

Disinformation is a term that has been frequently used in recent times due to the widespread nature of it. The effects of disinformation are far-reaching,...

Rotem Baruchin

June 18, 2024

The Power of Influence: Impact of Social Media Personalities on the World

In today's digital age, social media personalities wield great power in influencing cultural trends. These influencers, using their massive online followings, have become key players...

Rotem Baruchin

June 11, 2024