Reddit Astroturfing

Comments discuss the widespread astroturfing, fake users, bots, sockpuppets, and manipulative campaigns on Reddit, including allegations that founders seeded the site with fake activity and that popular subreddits are controlled or targeted.

📉 Falling 0.3x Politics & Society
2,810
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#5331
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
19
2008
7
2009
11
2010
24
2011
30
2012
72
2013
75
2014
68
2015
81
2016
118
2017
182
2018
118
2019
141
2020
225
2021
294
2022
338
2023
465
2024
274
2025
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2026
46

Keywords

DO DID SolidGoldMagikarp reddit.com motherboard.vice AMA PR CC E.g reddit astroturfing subreddit subreddits fake karma bots account users activity

Sample Comments

saagarjha Dec 1, 2019 View on HN

Reddit is frequently astroturfed.

schlauerfox Mar 19, 2025 View on HN

Reddit is heavily astroturfed and product placed.

computerliker69 Jan 17, 2024 View on HN

Does Reddit have any special controls to stop astroturfing or fake reviews?

It's strange but it appears that Reddit may be astroturfing their own site: https://www.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/comments/140gd1y/b...

robot22 Jun 11, 2015 View on HN

Reddit also has an astroturfing problem

mahmud Jun 23, 2013 View on HN

Reddit astroturfed their own site with fake users. These guys are 1) astroturfing other people's sites, 2) practicing unethetical tactics by down-voting links to competing websites with automated bots.

blueboo Sep 11, 2020 View on HN

Reddit was seeded by sockpuppets.

progbits Jan 11, 2024 View on HN

Unfortunately many subreddits are already being targeted with astroturfing. It still works for niche things but be careful and review the account age and posting history of those who praise a product.

fleddr Feb 15, 2023 View on HN

It's Reddit where almost everything is faked, for upvotes.

aaomidi Jun 9, 2025 View on HN

Reddit is one of the most as astroturfed platforms out there.