An article in the Guardian is alleging that "Like" farms have popped up in Bangladesh to support to many companies visibility on social media platforms. These farms apparently pay their employee's $15 for each 1,000 "likes."
Before choosing to make a purchase, "31% will check ratings and reviews, including likes and Twitter followers," showing the importance and impact these "like farms" can have.
Unlike computer programs that created fake Friendster accounts to spam people, these accounts are created "legitimately" by people, and all that is being exploited is cheap labor and the global connectivity of the Internet.
Facebook's entire reputation and business model is built on its ability to deliver users and sell advertisements to those who follow. If the accuracy and viability of Facebook's users is questioned or inaccurate or full of ghosts that will hurt pricing both from advertisers for companies trying to gain followers.
Facebook's business model professes to allow advertisers, who are able sift through all the freely volunteered information of the user to perfectly target their most desired customers. The growth of fake accounts, could seriously impact that model. The growth of "Like Farms," while likely not creating full fake accounts that would impact this business model, can still pose a threat to Facebook. If consumers learn they can't trust a business, because half of its followers are from Bangladesh fake accounts, it will impact Facebook's credibility among all participants.
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