Astroturfing

Astroturfing is the practice of disguising an organized, centrally funded campaign as a spontaneous, grassroots movement of ordinary people. Merriam-Webster defines it as organized activity intended to create a false impression of widespread, spontaneous grassroots support for or opposition to something, while in reality being initiated and controlled by a concealed group such as a corporation or political operation. The name is a pun on AstroTurf, a brand of artificial grass: the "movement" looks like real grassroots support but is manufactured. The term is often credited to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen in the 1980s.

On Reddit, astroturfing is a persistent concern because the platform's upvote system, pseudonymous accounts, and topical subreddits can be exploited to make coordinated messaging appear organic and popular. Marketers, political groups, and state-linked actors have been accused of using networks of accounts to push products, narratives, or talking points while posing as independent users. Reddit's content policy prohibits manipulation, vote-rigging, and undisclosed coordinated inauthentic behavior, and the company periodically publishes transparency reports and bans accounts tied to influence operations. Astroturfing overlaps closely with the use of sockpuppets and paid commenters, and it matters because it can distort the perception of genuine community sentiment.