Coordinated campaigns on Twitter during the coronavirus health crisis in Mexico

ABSTRACT Social media is fast becoming a key instrument to manipulate or influence social perception. Digital platforms are having a serious effect on the manipulation of public opinion through the spread of political propaganda and message amplification via coordinated campaigns. As one of the most used social platforms among politicians and democratic governments, Twitter plays a critical role in how information flows through trending topics. The main purpose of this study is to explore how coordinated campaigns, in this case astroturfing, were used to influence and manipulate public opinion during the coronavirus health crisis in Mexico. Our research provides new insights into the early detection of astroturfing and artificial amplification, in order to expose the efforts to manipulate online discourse in Mexico. In the pages that follow, it will be argued that Mexico is currently experiencing online manipulation through malicious strategies that may threaten its democracy. The following hashtags were used to explore and compare our approach in Mexico: #GatellOrgulloMexicano (Gatell Mexican Pride) and #AMLOPresidenteDeLaSalud (AMLO President of Health). This study intends to build awareness and to improve the public’s understanding coordinated behavior on Twitter.