Trolls on social media are attempting to sway Queensland's March 28 Local Elections by spreading misinformation online, a technique known as ‘astroturfing’.
QUT Associate Professor Daniel Angus says, trolls may set up fake accounts and then steer those accounts to make it look as though there are genuine grassroots community concerns about specific issues.
The Independent Council Election Observer (ICEO), set up in December as a watchdog for the Queensland Elections, posts warnings about pages containing misinformation on their Facebook page. The ICEO say they have received complaints from 20 percent of the 77 Brisbane councils but cannot respond to all concerns within 48 hours, due to a lack of resources.