As Washington owner Daniel Snyder waits to learn his fate with the NFL as a result of an investigation into the culture of the organization and his own alleged involvement in it, Snyder could be trying to use social media to boost his case.
Via Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, someone has purchased Facebook ads that promote an article touting Snyder’s charitable activities. The article appears on NYCTalk.org, a sporadically-updated website that (among other things) currently asks the question, “What’s for Dinner this Valentine’s Day in NYC?”
Then there are the bots. Via Phillips, “A number of new users also appeared on Twitter — all female, all accounts created in October 2020, that have been tweeting out praise of Snyder’s efforts over the past week. The accounts appear to be ‘bots,’ which means they don’t represent actual people.”
PFT Commenter (both my Internet son and the brother of the late Eric Sollenberger) has noticed, and written about, these bots. His article includes many of the suspicious tweets.
If Snyder or someone who works for him is engaged in a clumsy effort to enhance his standing with the league, it’s hard to imagine it working. Ultimately, the league office will make decisions based on the findings of Beth Wilkinson, who initially was hired by Snyder to investigate the team. Eventually, the league commandeered the probe.
Eventually, the investigation will result in findings, conclusions, and consequences. Whatever those may be, no amount of Facebook ads or Twitter bots will change it.