Which practice involves creating the appearance of broad public support or opposition?

• A. Troll farming
• B. Bot farming
• C. Astroturfing
• D. Greenwashing

Answer: (C)

The main idea being tested is the deceptive tactic of making a campaign seem like widespread public support or opposition when it isn’t. This is astroturfing: orchestrating or funding a movement in a way that masks its organizers and makes it appear as a genuine, broad grassroots surge. By using paid participants, fake profiles, or staged events, the campaign creates the illusion of broad backing or dissent to influence opinions and policymakers, even though the true level of public support is manufactured. The other terms describe different deceptive practices—troll farming focuses on disrupting or steering online discussions through provocation, bot farming uses automated accounts to amplify messages, and greenwashing misleads consumers about a company’s environmental claims. Astroturfing is the one that specifically aims to simulate broad public sentiment.