…and Why Authentic Engagement Matters More Than Ever
When X quietly rolled out a new transparency feature revealing when accounts were created and where they originated, few expected what would come next: a wave of political accounts (some loudly posing as “concerned American voters”) exposed as coordinated troll profiles generated in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and other regions far outside the United States.
For years, researchers and cybersecurity experts warned that foreign influence operations were evolving. What once looked like crude bot networks has now matured into sophisticated “persona farms” capable of mimicking the language, cadence, and emotional tone of real U.S. voters.
The new feature simply confirmed what many in the digital governance space suspected: much of the loud political conversation online, especially in the run-up to the U.S. election cycle, is not American at all.
And the consequences are far more serious than online noise.
Why foreign troll networks target U.S. political discourse
Foreign social media farms are not random bystanders. They exist to distort democratic processes, deepen polarization, and shape the narrative environment in ways that are advantageous to the governments or entities that fund them.
Their tactics include:
Amplifying wedge issues to intensify division within U.S. communities.
Posing as “average voters” to influence how Americans perceive public sentiment.
Attacking or boosting U.S. candidates to sway political outcomes.
Shaping discourse around foreign policy to favor the interests of their own countries.
These accounts are designed with a singular purpose: to manipulate, not to engage.
When elected officials interact with troll accounts, the damage multiplies
One of the more alarming realities is how often U.S. elected officials unknowingly engage with these foreign troll accounts. Whether through retweets, quote posts, or direct replies, the outcome is the same: disinformation and foreign narratives gain legitimacy.
This matters for several reasons:
1. It launders foreign agendas into mainstream U.S. political conversation.
When a member of Congress amplifies a troll account, it signals to their followers and the media that the post reflects real public sentiment. It becomes harder to distinguish organic grassroots voices from strategically engineered ones.
2. It misleads policymakers about what Americans actually think.
Elected officials rely heavily on social media to “read the room.” Troll accounts distort that room. They create the illusion of outrage, consensus, or demand where none truly exists.
3. It erodes trust in the authenticity of civic dialogue.
If Americans cannot be sure whether the person “next to them” online is real, faith in the democratic process suffers.
4. It fuels polarization and incentivizes bad-faith engagement.
Foreign troll networks thrive on outrage. When officials respond, they reinforce that inflammatory rhetoric is the quickest path to amplification.
Why authentic engagement is the only antidote
In an era of AI-generated personas, troll farms, and geopolitical information campaigns, trust becomes a strategic asset.
Authentic engagement built on real constituents, real organizations, and real communities is more than a communications best practice. It’s a democratic safeguard.
Authentic relationship building allows political leaders and public institutions to:
Ground decisions in genuine public input, not manufactured noise.
Build resilience against disinformation ecosystems.
Strengthen credibility with voters and partners.
Model responsible digital behavior.
Communications teams now play a critical role in this. The challenge is not just to monitor sentiment but to verify it. Ask themselves: Is this real? Is this user legitimate? Does this represent an actual community?
Moving forward, it is no longer enough to “measure engagement.” We must also measure authenticity.
A path forward: Smarter strategy, stronger communities
To protect against foreign manipulation, U.S. organizations and public figures should adopt a more disciplined digital posture:
Vet online interactions before resharing.
Prioritize verified sources and established community members.
Create direct lines of communication with constituents through newsletters, forums, and in-person events.
Educate staff on influence operations and digital hygiene.
Strengthen relationships offline, where trust cannot be faked by a newly created account.
Platforms will continue evolving. Troll farms will, too. But the one advantage foreign actors can never replicate is the power of a genuine human connection.
In a political climate increasingly shaped by manufactured identities, authenticity isn’t just a communications goal; it’s a cornerstone of national resilience.