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According to a Federalist investigation, the Harris-Walz presidential campaign allegedly violated the platform's Terms of Service by using coordinated online strategies across social media platforms to spread pro-Harris content. X (previously Twitter), Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram are among the major platforms targeted, with purported attempts to influence public opinion and manage the discourse on these networks.
Discord as Command Center for Volunteers
The Federalist reported that Harris-Walz campaign officials used a secret Discord server as a command center to instruct volunteers in “astroturfing” techniques. Allegedly, campaign officials gave supporters instructions to repost pro-Harris information in order to mimic strong public support, increasing social media traction through phony activity. According to reports, Discord messages gave volunteers specific instructions on how to take part in coordinated online activities, which raised their exposure and interaction on campaign posts.
🚨🇺🇸BREAKING: KAMALA'S CAMPAIGN COORDINATES SOCIAL MEDIA MANIPULATION TO BOOST SUPPORTKamala's campaign’s use of a Discord server to organize volunteers in pushing pro-Harris content across social media, particularly on X.Volunteers are reportedly directed to downvote… pic.twitter.com/JCSfOs2iDJ
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 30, 2024
Manipulation of X’s Community Notes Feature
The Federalist said that one strategy was to downvote and block Community Notes on X, particularly those that provided corrections to Harris-Walz articles. Volunteers were apparently told by campaign personnel to downvote a Community Note that provided clarification on claims made by former President Donald Trump. Trump’s comments were purportedly taken out of context by the campaign, which implied that he referred to some Americans as “dangerous.” The statement was amended in a Community Note, but volunteers were apparently told to vote it down, which decreased its exposure.
Campaign officials stressed the need of managing the interpretation of campaign posts in their Discord discussions. Community Notes that pointed out errors or misrepresentations in Harris-Walz tweets were urged to be challenged by volunteers. Campaign supporters allegedly received training on how to use the Community Notes function to raise their "status" rating and influence, enabling them to publish Community Notes with greater exposure, using a "Twitter (X) Community Notes Training" module.
Widespread Use of Reach App to Amplify Content
By using strategies to promote material on Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram, the Harris campaign purportedly extended its reach beyond X. The campaign’s reach was expanded without official Harris branding by integrating campaign content, such as memes and brief films, into volunteers’ own social media profiles using the Reach app. Reddit volunteers allegedly created a positive narrative on a number of subreddits by using platform algorithms to push pro-Harris content.
Users used to meme culture criticized the ad for being inauthentic on entertainment-focused platforms like Instagram and TikTok. However, in order to appeal to younger people, advertising techniques focused on these platforms and used humorous videos and meme formats.
Campaign Frustrations with Platform Safeguards
According to reports, platform limitations made the campaign’s tactics more difficult. The campaign found it challenging to get beyond X’s Community Notes feature, which was created to combat false information. Insiders expressed annoyance at the system’s inherent security measures. Campaign initiatives to teach volunteers how to increase their impact inside the feature, however, indicated an effort to maximize their narrative reach while operating within the constraints of the platform.