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A Swedish government study has found a recent surge in the number of automated Twitter accounts ahead of elections next month.
Researchers noted that 40% of the accounts are more likely to support the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats party, which is expected to make gains on September 9.
The study by Sweden’s defence research agency comes amid broader concerns over misinformation ahead of the elections.
Researcher Johan Fernquist said the number of Twitter bots discussing politics nearly doubled from July to August.
The report said users “may be led to believe that this content (is) more widely accepted or more mainstream than it actually is”.
Swedish authorities have spoken repeatedly about the potential risk of foreign interference in the vote.
Polls suggest the Sweden Democrats could become the country’s second largest party.
