What is ‘farm-like’ and what does it do?

The scene looks like something out of a science fiction movie: a volatile environment where countless old mobile phones sit side by side, all connected to each other to conserve battery power. In front of them, people repeat the same task over and over, tapping the screen to generate likes or comments.

These places really exist and click on farms, an application that serves to inflate numbers on social networks, violating platform rules and bringing various risks. However, the promise of inflated numbers still attracts such services and makes them highly sought after.

What are click farms?

Like farms, click on farms or Click on farms What are the services? Promising to increase numbers on websites or social networks using fake traffic, disguised as real users.

They are used for actions such as liking posts, writing positive comments, praising or critically commenting on the post, clicking on ads, and registering on platforms.

The tactic is used by digital influencers, corporate accounts, and even politicians looking to increase followers, comments, likes, or shares (celebrity engagement).

“On most platforms, this metric is what determines the success of a piece of content. The algorithms understand that: The more engagement a post gets, the more relevant it is. And therefore it distributes it to more people,” explains Gabriela Pederneiras, NZN Social Media coordinator.

According to Pederneiras, this is especially true for strategies that target sales. After all, engagement is “proof” that a segment of the public was affected by the post and that it made sense to them in some way. The user therefore begins to establish a relationship with the brand that could lead to a sale.

How do click farms work?

These “farms” come in two forms: They can be bots or robots that are programmed to digitally repeat a task on fake or stolen accounts, for example.

But the most well-known and surreal visions include: Multiple people on computers or smartphones, all logged into different accounts on a social network. Employees often work in poor working conditions and receive low wages, but they repeat the same task over and over again.

In addition to these examples, some services have remote operations, where employees are at home, and the structure varies. The contract is made through a “package” according to the amount and complexity of the work.

But the result may be as artificial as the calculations.”Click farms provide fake engagement to creators. Even though they reach faster numbers, These results are empty and do not convert into future sales or build community.“, strengthens Gabriela.

In 2023, photographer Jack LathamBeggar’s Honey” (O Mel do Pobre, in literal translation) along with records of similar farms.

He found several photos with different device configurations in places like Thailand, Vietnam, and Hong Kong, and captured some impressive shots.

Despite the precarious nature, these professionals are generally knowledgeable about the networks. Those responsible for advanced farms know to be careful with artificial actions as mass behaviors increase suspicions about the platform.

Therefore, the task is not automatic for a robot and involves multiple devices and humans. There are those who use Software that masks IP and even MAC addressesand switching accounts frequently to avoid tracking.

Every side is damaged

However, using similar farms also carries risks and possible losses. According to Fabio Assolini, director of Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team in Latin America, those who use this resource may be punished with range limit or even ban your account.

Besides, The influencer’s profile can be used or hacked to spread links to malicious websites “The real tip in this case is not to use the source because can cause damage ranging from reputation to data leakage” he advises.

The practice also raises ethical questions, as this artificial participation could inflate fraudulent, false, or misleading posts. Similar farms can still be used in smear, political, and spam campaigns.

What do the platforms say?

In a note sent TecMundoMeta, the owner of Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Threads, emphasized that interactions are important “be real”He says he works for “Keep the community away from inauthentic behavior“, he emphasizes that these services violate the Terms of Use.

“We dedicate significant resources to combating this type of abuse on our platforms and evaluate all viable options, including suspending and removing accounts when detected,” a company spokesperson said.

TikTok has posted links to its community guidelines and a report on its implementation of those guidelines in 2023. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to promptly detect and remove any accounts, content or activity that seeks to artificially inflate popularity on our platform,” the document reads.

Although there may seem to be easier ways, they do not bring the same results as the effort required to produce content on these platforms.

“There is no magic formula for growth on social media. Social media expert Gabriela Pederneiras states that the most important thing is to identify your target audience, define a content niche, and make quality and relevant posts, taking these two factors into account.