The WallStreetBets manipulation of $GME is now the best template for how one could monetize an influence operation.
I don't know if any laws were broken this time, but Reddit now has a problem: it is the home for a community of hundreds of thousands of people who have demonstrated the ability to move billions of dollars based upon the urging of, at most, a couple dozen anonymous accounts.
Reddit has some thoughtful policy people thinking through these issues, but I'm not sure they have a dedicated influence-ops-focused investigation team like TWTR/FB. If they leave WSB up, they will need one.
People are incorrectly reading this as a defense of hedge funds. It is not (tax their carried interest as W-2 income!) Who do you think is going to be messaging everybody with well-followed YouTube channels and lots of Reddit Gold to drive the next rally?
You can follow @alexstamos.
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