sockpuppeting

Sockpuppeting is the practice of maintaining multiple online identities to deceive others. In online communities such as message boards, social networks, wikis, and review sites, a sockpuppet account is used to present a false sense of consensus, support, or authority. The term typically refers to deceptive use, as opposed to legitimate multiple accounts for convenience or privacy. Sockpuppets are often created to influence discussions, evade moderation, or manipulate reputations.

Common methods include creating fictional personas, posting under these identities in coordinated ways, interjecting favorable comments, and cross-posting the same content across platforms. Motivations range from political or commercial propaganda to harassment or censorship avoidance. In some cases, a network of sockpuppets is used to simulate grassroots support or to diminish dissent by posing as ordinary users.

Detection and enforcement vary by platform but often involve behavioral analysis, linkability of accounts, content similarity, timing, IP addresses, and cross‑referencing edited histories. Platforms may suspend or ban sockpuppets, require identity verification, or implement technical controls such as CAPTCHAs, rate limits, and IP blocking. Ethical and legal concerns arise because sockpuppetry deceives other users and can distort information, elections, or markets.

Sockpuppetry is related to concepts such as astroturfing and coordinated inauthentic behavior and is commonly addressed in policies governing term-of-service violations on social networks and collaborative projects like wikis.