International
German leader Merkel fears social bots as biggest rival in 4th term bid
German Chancellor, Angela Merkel is seriously concerned and has expressed fears that so-called “social bots” – software programmed to sway opinion on social media sites, may be her biggest contender in next year’s German election campaign and not a rival party leader as usual.
Merkel called for a debate on how fake news, bots and trolls can manipulate public opinion in her first speech to parliament after announcing her intention to seek a fourth term in office.
Read also: Lawyers in Tunisia go on strike over austerity measures
“In order to reach people, to inspire people, we need to deal with this phenomenon and – where necessary – regulate it,” Merkel told lawmakers on Wednesday.
The role social networks Facebook (FB.O: Quote) and Twitter (TWTR.N: Quote) play in spreading false and malicious information has shot up Merkel’s agenda after the shock election of U.S. Republican candidate Donald Trump as president.
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