We live in a digital world where disinformation and manipulation threats are and will always be a growing concern. One of the most hidden and complex threats is thoughtnets, which are organized groups that systematically exploit social media to spread false narratives and reduce trust in otherwise credible sources of information. Thoughtnets are not just a concept but a tool that actively manipulates information and creates confusion in the modern information ecosystem.
In this blog post, we dive into what thoughtnets are, how they operate, and what role they play in the wider landscape of disinformation. Furthermore, we discuss how they relate to the phenomenon of fabricated discourse, which consists of constructed false narratives that spread confusion and manipulation across digital platforms.
Thoughtnets explained
So, what exactly are thoughtnets? They are organized networks of automated accounts, known as botnets, operating on what you probably know as Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, and other platforms. These bots are designed to behave like real users, engaging in discussions and sharing content to distort discourse and spread disinformation, often through the use of a fabricated story. These narrative attacks are part of broader cybersecurity attacks aimed at creating confusion and distrust. The purpose of thoughtnets is not just to influence individual situations but to create a broad environment of confusion and distrust in trusted sources.
A key feature of thoughtnets is their ability to create a false consensus. By getting many bots to share and like certain narratives, an illusion is created that a certain point of view is widespread and popular, when in reality it is only supported by a small group or an underlying actor. Thoughtnets therefore become an effective tool to promote false narratives and make it difficult for users to distinguish between reality and manipulation.
Defining thoughtnets and their impact
Thoughtnets are a complex network of social media bots and sock puppet accounts deeply embedded in online communities associated with specific target audiences. This emerging threat combines traditional cybersecurity attacks with narrative attacks and automated disinformation campaigns. The controlling entities behind these accounts activate them in coordination to monitor conversations and identify opportune moments to inject chosen narratives or content. Thoughtnets can 'launder' false or misleading narratives, manipulating authentic community members into spreading them far and wide.
The impact of thoughtnets is significant, as it plays a central role in most modern large-scale disinformation campaigns. Cyber threats and narrative attacks share similarities, including deception and automation. Advances in AI are supercharging deception, enabling the generation of compelling fake audio, video, and text content. Both phishing campaigns and disinformation operations rely on emulating a trusted source to lower the target’s guard. The goals of phishing campaigns and narrative attacks are similar, exploiting human interests and biases to influence behavior.
The nature of thoughtnets
Thoughtnets, in the context of digital information, are not just random musings but are often the result of sophisticated processes involving automated systems. These systems, known as thoughtnets, are designed to mimic human behavior on social media platforms. Thoughtnets operate by creating and disseminating content that appears to be generated by real users, thereby influencing public opinion and shaping discourse.
The technology behind thoughtnets is advanced, utilizing algorithms and machine learning to create realistic interactions. These bots can generate posts, share content, and engage in conversations, all while maintaining the illusion of being genuine users. This fabricated discourse can be highly persuasive, as it blends seamlessly with authentic content, making it difficult for users to distinguish between real and fake narratives.
The impact of thoughtnets extends beyond individual users to the broader information ecosystem. By creating a false sense of consensus, thoughtnets can manipulate public perception and erode trust in credible sources. This is particularly concerning in contexts such as political campaigns, where the spread of disinformation can have significant consequences for democratic processes.
Influences on thoughtnets
The formation and dissemination of thoughtnets are influenced by various factors, including technological advancements, social dynamics, and individual behaviors. Thoughtnets leverage these influences to create and spread fabricated narratives that can shape public opinion and behavior.
One of the primary influences on thoughtnets is the technology used to create and manage thoughtnets. Advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning have made it possible to develop highly sophisticated bots that can mimic human behavior with remarkable accuracy. These bots can generate content, engage in conversations, and even adapt their behavior based on user interactions, making them highly effective at spreading disinformation.
Social dynamics also play a crucial role in the spread of thoughtnets. Thoughtnets often exploit existing social divisions and polarizing issues to amplify their impact. By promoting extreme viewpoints and creating the illusion of widespread support, thoughtnets can deepen societal divides and create a more fragmented information ecosystem.
Individual behaviors, such as the tendency to share information without verifying its accuracy, also contribute to the spread of thoughts. In the fast-paced environment of social media, users often share content based on its emotional appeal or perceived relevance rather than its factual accuracy. This can lead to the rapid spread of fabricated stories and disinformation, further complicating efforts to maintain a trustworthy information ecosystem.
Fighting thoughtnets
To combat this phenomenon, different actors use technological solutions that attempt to detect and eliminate misinformation in the digital information ecosystem. These efforts often involve a wide range of technologies and strategies that aim to strengthen transparency, accountability, and credibility in digital media. They work to create a more trustworthy information environment by identifying and neutralizing false narratives spread online. By combining advanced technologies with collaboration between different stakeholders, we strive to protect the public from the harmful effects of disinformation. It is thus a response to the increasing spread of disinformation and misinformation in digital media, which can have serious consequences for democratic societies and the public. At a time when fake news and manipulated information can spread at lightning speed, it is crucial to have mechanisms in place to ensure transparency and accountability.
Social media and disinformation
Social media plays a central role in the information ecosystem, acting as both a source of credible information and a platform for disinformation. On platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit, information can spread at lightning speed, allowing both truths and lies to reach a large audience in a short time.
Unfortunately, this rapid spread also means that disinformation, including fabricated evidence, can take hold and influence people’s perceptions before the truth has a chance to emerge. Social media disinformation can range from fake news and manipulated images to distorted facts and conspiracy theories. These false narratives can be hard to distinguish from real information, especially when presented in a convincing way. That’s why it’s crucial that social media users develop a critical approach to the information they encounter online. By questioning the sources, verifying facts, and seeking multiple perspectives, you can reduce the risk of being misled by disinformation.
How do thoughtnets work?
Thoughtnets are sophisticated in their operations. Bots that make up thoughtnets can be controlled to share certain posts, comment on posts, or engage in debates, all with the aim of manipulating public discourse through fabricated things. This can be accomplished through a number of different methods:
- Spreading misinformation: Thoughtnets can share and spread untrue information, often in the form of fake news or highly distorted stories. The spread of these false narratives can influence people’s perceptions and attitudes toward a given topic, especially during critical periods such as elections or during crises like the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
- Reinforcing divisive narratives: Bots can reinforce polarizing views and incite conflict. By promoting extreme positions on both sides of a debate, thoughtnets can create the illusion of a deeper societal divide than actually exists.
- Creating fake profiles: Bots in thoughtnets often pretend to be real people with realistic profiles. They may have fake images, information, and interactions, making it difficult to detect that they are automated accounts.
Fabricated discourse: False narratives and fabricated evidence
A central component of thoughtnets is the concept of a “fabricated story.” These are constructed false narratives that are carefully designed to mislead people. These narratives can be complex and often include a mixture of truth and lies, making them harder to detect as false. An example of fabricated discourse can be the spread of fake news about political events. Bots can spread misinformation about a politician, highlight false accusations, or distort reality in a way that damages their reputation.
Spreading such narratives across social media creates a false narrative that can cause people to lose trust in both politicians and the media. Fabricated discourse often works by creating the illusion of broad support for a false story. Thoughtnets create so much “noise” around the false narrative that people start to believe it because it appears to be something many people are talking about and supporting.
How to combat thoughtnets, fabricated discourse, and disinformation
Although thoughtnets are a sophisticated threat, there are ways to protect yourself and society from their influence:
- Critical thinking: It’s important that people learn to be critical of the information they see online. Questioning sources and seeking multiple perspectives can reduce the risk of being influenced by disinformation.
- Fact-check: Use fact checks to verify information, especially when it comes to controversial or unusual stories. Many media outlets and organizations offer fact-checking services that can help uncover the truth behind a story.
- Technology solutions: Social media platforms are working to develop better tools to detect and remove bots. Using machine learning and advanced analytics, they can identify abnormal activity that indicates the use of bots and thoughtnets.
The future of thoughtnet technologies in the information ecosystem
As the technology behind thoughtnets evolves, it becomes harder to combat them. Bots are becoming increasingly sophisticated and can behave more human-like, making them harder to detect. The thoughtnets of the future will likely use advanced AI technology, making it even more challenging to distinguish between genuine and fake interactions online. A wide range of actors must work together to combat the future threats posed by thoughtnets.
Deepfake technology, where both audio and video can be manipulated, also poses a growing threat. The combination of thoughtnets and deepfakes can lead to even more convincing false narratives that can have far-reaching consequences for both public opinion and political decision-making processes.
Conclusion
Thoughtnets and fabricated discourse pose a serious threat to the digital information economy. They create distorted narratives and use social media to spread false narratives, undermining trust in genuine sources and destabilizing social dialogue. By understanding their impact on our daily life experience, we can better appreciate the need for vigilance. By being aware of these threats and learning to think critically about the information we encounter online, we can reduce the influence of thoughtnets and protect our digital space from manipulation and disinformation. The importance of critical thinking and collaboration cannot be underestimated in the effort to combat thoughtnets and ensure a healthy digital information economy.

Lykke Rytter Andersen
Lykke is an intern at Moxso, where she is currently exploring different facets of cybersecurity from her academic perspective. She is studying a master's degree in IT, Learning and Organizational Transformation and has an ambition to apply her knowledge about learning to help organizations build a resilient cybersecurity culture.
View all posts by Lykke Rytter Andersen