Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s Ulez expansion plan may have been targeted by an online “manipulation” campaign, online investigators have found.
More than 4,114 Twitter accounts were leveraged in an operation estimated to have cost at least £168,000, according to Valent Projects, a UK-based tech start-up that tracks online manipulation.
“The manipulation taking place in the UK is much more sophisticated than the hashtag spamming you get in Africa or the Middle East,” said Amil Khan, the start-up's founder and a former adviser to the British government.
These methods are “likely” to be used in the next UK general election, and have been seen aound several key issues in the national debate, including climate change and the refugee crisis, he added.
The Mayor of London wants to improve the capital’s air quality by expanding the Ultra-Low Emission Zone into outer boroughs. High-polluting cars are required to pay £12.50 a day to drive within the zone.
But critics argue that the tax is an unfair burden on motorists, who are already affected by the cost of living crisis. On Friday, the British High Court ruled in favour of Mr Khan after five Conservative-led councils accused the Labour mayor of acting unlawfully with his expansion plans.
Earlier this month the Conservatives won the by-election in Uxbridge and South Ruislip – an area that will fall within planned Ulez expansion. The party's opposition to the expansion was credited for the narrow win.
The political fallout prompted Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to reconsider the UK's environmental commitments, calling for a “proportionate and pragmatic” approach to achieving net zero amid cost-of-living pressures.
But there are signs that unknown nefarious actors may be using social media platforms to manipulate the conversation around Ulez, Valent Projects found.
Influential Twitter users who opposed the Ulez expansion had their posts amplified by more than 3,701 apparently inauthentic accounts, according to its report.
There was also a spike in anti-Ulez accounts created after November 2022, when Mr Khan gave the go-ahead for the expansion, following a consultation over the summer.
Expansion of London's Ulez low emissions zone given go-ahead - in pictures
These accounts were then followed by another raft of fake accounts, which served to prop up their posts. “On average, the 3,702 spreader accounts examined have 380 followers each, and these follower accounts are inauthentic,” wrote Zouhir Al Shimale, the report’s author.
“These accounts, called 'validators', are generated and maintained by dubious online vendors to provide customers with the ability to quickly add more followers to their accounts, thereby tricking Twitter’s algorithms into treating these accounts as more important,” he wrote.
The report suspects that these inauthentic accounts are “controlled” or semi-controlled by automated software that can direct more than one account at the same time.
This three-tiered approach helps to amplify the voices of genuine and influential opponents to Ulez. The report does not suggest that these influencers were aware of the manipulation campaign.
“Some of the biggest anti-Ulez voices [ …] are among those we see benefiting from inauthentic amplification, possibly unbeknown to them,” said the report.
“Instead of simple hashtag spamming, this approach manipulates Twitter's algorithm to prioritise content from anti-Ulez influencers. Such manipulation results in thousands of accounts promoting anti-Ulez content on to users' timelines,” the report added.
The estimated costs were calculated by adding up the known fees for buying followers in packages of 1,000 and the published rates for automation software. “This indicative figure might not capture the full cost, as it doesn't include all potential associated services,” the report said.
The investigation did not seek to establish who was behind the campaign, or whether it had an impact on the recent by-elections.
But Valent's founder Amil Khan believes the dangers are clear. “Civil society organisations, traditional media and public institutions struggle to find the resources to investigate these sorts of campaigns and devise effective responses,” he told The National.
He added that these findings were just the “tip of the iceberg,” as the initial research has only focused on Twitter activity. “Larger manipulative activities might be happening on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and TikTok,” he said.
Environmental groups have criticised the Prime Minister’s attempts to water down the UK's green and climate commitments.
“We will not stand by while politicians use the environment as a political football,” campaigners including The National Trust and the Woodland Trust wrote in a letter on Saturday. The organisations involved in the letter collectively claim to represent the views of 20 million people.
“There is no public mandate for a delay. It is therefore with deep alarm that we have read reports over the last few weeks of your government considering watering down its commitments on almost every front of environmental policy,” they told Mr Sunak.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The National selections
Al Ain
5pm: Bolereau
5.30pm: Rich And Famous
6pm: Duc De Faust
6.30pm: Al Thoura
7pm: AF Arrab
7.30pm: Al Jazi
8pm: Futoon
Jebel Ali
1.45pm: AF Kal Noor
2.15pm: Galaxy Road
2.45pm: Dark Thunder
3.15pm: Inverleigh
3.45pm: Bawaasil
4.15pm: Initial
4.45pm: Tafaakhor
EMILY%20IN%20PARIS%3A%20SEASON%203
%3Cp%3ECreated%20by%3A%20Darren%20Star%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Lily%20Collins%2C%20Philippine%20Leroy-Beaulieu%2C%20Ashley%20Park%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202.75%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE BIO
Favourite author - Paulo Coelho
Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field
Role model - My Grandfather
Dream interviewee - Che Guevara
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
More on animal trafficking
Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
The Energy Research Centre
Founded 50 years ago as a nuclear research institute, scientists at the centre believed nuclear would be the “solution for everything”.
Although they still do, they discovered in 1955 that the Netherlands had a lot of natural gas. “We still had the idea that, by 2000, it would all be nuclear,” said Harm Jeeninga, director of business and programme development at the centre.
"In the 1990s, we found out about global warming so we focused on energy savings and tackling the greenhouse gas effect.”
The energy centre’s research focuses on biomass, energy efficiency, the environment, wind and solar, as well as energy engineering and socio-economic research.
Blue%20Beetle
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Angel%20Manuel%20Soto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EXolo%20Mariduena%2C%20Adriana%20Barraza%2C%20Damian%20Alcazar%2C%20Raoul%20Max%20Trujillo%2C%20Susan%20Sarandon%2C%20George%20Lopez%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
McIlroy's struggles in 2016/17
European Tour: 6 events, 16 rounds, 5 cuts, 0 wins, 3 top-10s, 4 top-25s, 72,5567 points, ranked 16th
PGA Tour: 8 events, 26 rounds, 6 cuts, 0 wins, 4 top-10s, 5 top-25s, 526 points, ranked 71st
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Score
Third Test, Day 2
New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)
Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
