Abstract
This chapter explores the limits of the frame “disinformation” when exploring the growing industry of pseudonymous influencers who occasionally campaign for politicians and seed crisis frames. Pseudonymous influencers in the form of parody accounts, meme pages, and romantic love quotes (hugot) accounts, and horny queer “alt” accounts have been able to evade disinformation interventions such as fact-checking because their media manipulation objectives are less focused on spreading false news and more directed towards signal boosting politically-slanted hashtags or promoting electioneering politicians. By mapping a diverse ecosystem of pseudonymous influencers in the Philippines, this chapter offers an important global South case study to understand the political economy of disinformation and the complicities of influencer industries with disinformation and “dark PR”.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Internet Popular Culture and (Everyday) Politics |
| Subtitle of host publication | Methodological & Ethical Critiques from Southeast Asia |
| Editors | Crystal Abidin, Natalie Pang |
| Place of Publication | London |
| Publisher | Routledge |
| Pages | 31-45 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781003619369 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781041024651 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 5 Sept 2025 |