Astroturfing
Astroturfing manufactures the appearance of grassroots support for a position when none exists.
Name origin
Named after AstroTurf, fake grass that mimics the real thing.
Examples:
- PR firms paying people to post positive reviews
- Coordinated bot/sockpuppet campaigns on social media
- Industry-funded “citizen advocacy” groups
It tries to win by faking consensus rather than by giving good reasons.