We’ve Come a Long Way from Fake Likes, Says Naidu

Prominent lawyer Richard Naidu has suggested that Fiji’s political environment has improved from a time when he alleges government social media posts were boosted using fake likes.

In a social media post, Naidu said that while the current situation in the country may not be perfect, the present government appears to be accepting criticism without attempting to artificially inflate engagement on its Facebook posts.

"Things might not be fantastic now, but at least our government is taking the blasts from its critics without complaint - and without bolstering its Facebook posts with fake likes, as its predecessor did. Here’s a post from four years ago," said Naidu.

As an example, he shared a screenshot of a post from four years ago, which appeared to show a Facebook account named “Fidele Castro” among those who liked the post — a name resembling that of the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

This type of activity is often referred to as “astroturfing.” The term describes a practice where organisations or political groups create the appearance of widespread public support by using fake accounts, paid likes, bots, or coordinated networks to promote posts or messages online.

Astroturfing is used across various industries, including marketing, public relations, and political campaigning, to influence public perception. Where astroturfing involves deception, false representation, or undisclosed paid political communication, it could potentially fall within broader offences such as fraud, misleading conduct, or breaches of electoral laws, depending on the jurisdiction and circumstances.

Meanwhile, Duavata News understands that authorities are already aware of a foreign company with offices in Singapore and India that is suspected to have been involved in coordinated astroturfing during the 2022 general elections in Fiji. The company in question is owned by a prominent businessman who remains active in Fiji’s business environment. The company is reportedly being examined by authorities over possible election interference.