Identifying Creators of Disinformation

When confronted with an outrageous, bizarre or explosive claim posted on social media that is getting traction and that is about to go viral - or that is viral already - we look at the account, the audience (following and spreaders) and the message(s). Identifying creators of disinformation is just one part of what individuals can do to combat disinformation.

Steps to finding a Troll

• First establish if the account can be traced to a person or organization to do this Check the Profile and Check the ID. The Details of how to do so are on the page Checking Suspicious Profiles.

• Check the messages posted for suspicious content that suggests it was created or distributed by a troll. The details of how to do so are on the page Checking Suspicious Posts.

• Next check who is following the account on twitter or who the primary audience of the content appears to be. The details of how to do so are on the page Checking a Suspicious Audience.

• If you have exhausted all other options and highly suspect that accounts are linked and are highly likely to be Trolls using multiple accounts then go complete the Last Step in a Troll Check.