Twitter is an excellent social media platform that allows communication to occur between people who are in different parts of the world. Interestingly, since its introduction in 2006, Twitter has become a critical tool for people to follow and stay up to date with news and other current events. However, for many years, Twitter audiences have raised concerns about the impact of bots on the platform. So, how many bots are on Twitter, and does it matter?

According to the Pew Research Center report, roughly 15% of Twitter accounts are considered bots. It’s important to understand that Twitter bots are computer programs that can automatically interact with Twitter users through responses, likes, and retweets. These bots can be categorized into three types: those that are legitimate, those that are malicious, and those categorized as unclear. Bots that are unclear are challenging to say whether they are malicious or not.

Nonetheless, the impact of bots on Twitter is alarming. Concerns arise when rogue bots are created to spread disinformation, fake news and influence people’s opinions, which can negatively impact democracy. Bots can be used to amplify specific messages and flood Twitter streams with fake accounts, which can lead to hashtag hijacking and create an illusion of a broader, more significant conversation that may not, in reality, be taking place.

Moreover, bots have been shown to be used in various unethical practices, including spam messages, phishing, click-farming and fake reviews. Bots can lead to a toxic online environment, which can deter Twitter users from participating in conversations and trigger emotional distress among users. With its huge user base, Twitter has become a prime breeding ground for bot activity, and the number of bots appears to be increasing.

So, how can Twitter address the bot problem? Twitter has identified the problem and taken significant steps to reduce the number of bots on its platform. For instance, it has made investments in artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify patterns and behaviors that might indicate a bot account. Twitter also has a verification process, Blue Checked accounts, which has put in place measures to protect users from bogus users.

Furthermore, social media users have a crucial role to play in identifying and reporting suspicious activity, including bot activity. Reporting users who use bots can deter users from engaging in unethical practices and create a safe online environment for Twitter’s users.