Fake Twitter accounts bought by the transitional government. Simulation of popularity or manipulation?

In recent days, a disturbing discovery was made concerning the official accounts of the Minister of the Interior of Gabon (@minintgouvga), the transitional president Brice Oligui Nguema (@oliguinguema), and the account of the national dialogue initiative (@Dialogue241). Indeed, these accounts seem to have massively bought subscribers to strengthen their online credibility. But why such practices, and how did we arrive at this conclusion?

An attempt at online credibility

Buying fake followers is a well-known strategy used by public figures and organizations seeking to artificially inflate their popularity. The idea is simple: the more followers an account has, the more influential and credible it appears. In a political context as tense as that of Gabon, the need to project an image of unity and popular support is paramount. The transitional government is thus trying to simulate a broad agreement of opinion around its decisions and initiatives, particularly on social networks, where reactions can sometimes be unpredictable and difficult to control.

A deception visible to the naked eye

How do we know that these accounts bought followers? Just take a look at their follower list and you'll see that something is amiss. When browsing through the followers of these official accounts, we notice several typical elements of fake accounts:

1. Inconsistent usernames : Many accounts display incomprehensible usernames, often consisting of a long string of numbers, a classic characteristic of bots or mass-generated fake accounts.

2. Questionable profile pictures : Profiles display pictures that do not meet local standards, often generic images, avatars, or stock photos with no connection to Gabon.

3. Lack of activity : These accounts, although subscribed, do not interact with posts, often have no posts themselves, and have very few subscribers, which is another sign of a fake audience.

Faking popular support: a recurring tactic?

The phenomenon of buying fake followers is not new. Many public figures around the world have used it to manipulate perceptions of their popularity. In Gabon, where the regime is seeking to consolidate its power during a period of transition, this practice appears to be used to create the illusion of consensus around the new authorities .

However, this strategy carries risks. Gabonese Internet users are increasingly seasoned and wary of this type of manipulation. The discovery of these fake subscribers could not only undermine the credibility of official accounts, but also reinforce the feeling of distrust towards the authorities.

Can artificial credibility be maintained?

As Gabonese politics remains in the spotlight, this attempt to manipulate online figures is yet another example of the tension between the image the government wants to project and the reality perceived by citizens. While buying fake followers can temporarily simulate support, it is unlikely that this strategy will restore public trust in the long term.