Lampe: After mass shootings, fake social media accounts can spread misinformation

In the wake of a mass shooting, investigators often look to a suspect’s social media accounts for more information. 

USA Today reports that during the recent arrests of the Crumbley family — including Ethan, the 15-year-old suspected shooter and his parents — fake social media accounts pretending to be the teen popped up immediately, muddying the investigative waters with misinformation. 

While a suspect’s social media accounts are often removed during active threat situations, Cliff Lampe, professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Information, says these accounts often “disappear in the night.” The opaque removal process leaves a vacuum that can be filled with “sock puppet” social media accounts. 

These fake accounts end up spreading misinformation about perpetrators and victims alike. While these spoof accounts may seem like a new phenomenon, Lampe says these sock puppets "have been part of internet culture for almost as long as the internet has been around.”
 

Read “Bond set at combined $1 million for parents of Michigan school shooting suspect after overnight arrest” on USAToday.com, and an accompanying article from Detroit Free Press.

Learn more about Professor Cliff Lampe.