Well, I guess if you have fake news, you need fake readers to read it.
New York's chief prosecutor says the state is opening an investigation into a firm that allegedly sold millions of fake followers to social media users. "Impersonation and deception are illegal under New York law," said Eric Schneiderman. The company, Devumi, stands accused of stealing real people's identities, which it denies, according to the New York Times. The paper linked the "follower factory" to a host of celebrity accounts.
On its website, Devumi offers customers the chance to order up to 250,000 Twitter followers, with prices starting at $12 (£8.50). Clients can also buy "likes" and retweets.The company sells followers on a range of other platforms, including Pinterest, LinkedIn, Soundcloud and YouTube.
The report alleges that Devumi has a stock of at least 3.5 million automated accounts, many of which are sold repeatedly. It alleges at least 55,000 of the accounts "use the names, profile pictures, hometowns and other personal details of real Twitter users, including minors".
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42853067
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