Manipulating Twitter Trends is possible, and it’s dangerous

Research from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EFPL) reveals a vulnerability in Twitter’s Trends algorithm. — AFP Relaxnews

Research from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EFPL) in Switzerland has found that it is possible to manipulate Twitter Trends. The findings prove, for the first time, that many trends are created solely by bots exploiting a vulnerability in the Twitter algorithm.

The Twitter Trends tool is a formidable window onto the everyday topics proving popular among web users at any given time. It is sometimes used by the media to report on the significance or even the existence of a topic or social phenomenon.