Fake followers, fake likes: they've flooded social media in the past few years.
While companies have taken action against fraud accounts, in New York, selling bots and fraudulent social media activity now could land you in hot water. In fact, it's against the law.
SEE ALSO:Despite 'transparency' claims, Facebook stops watchdogs from monitoring adsNew York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Wednesday it had settled with U.S. company Devumi, which had been under investigation following a New York Timesexposé which revealed its shady social media practices.
Tweet may have been deleted
The settlement makes selling fake likes and followers illegal in the state of New York. It's one of the first actions taken by a law enforcement agency against the practice.
"As people and companies like Devumi continue to make a quick buck by lying to honest Americans, my office will continue to find and stop anyone who sells online deception," James said in a statement online.
"With this settlement, we are sending a clear message that anyone profiting off of deception and impersonation is breaking the law and will be held accountable."
Devumi, which folded last August, was employed by a number of high-profile celebrities to help build their online following. Some clients knew the business used fake activity to boost online profiles, while others thought the increased engagement came from genuine people.
The investigation found in some instances Devumi scraped the accounts of real people without their consent to build fake profiles.
Of course, the fake follower business was a lucrative one: CNN notes that Devumi earned approximately $15 million in revenue, but the negative publicity following the Times' revelation led to the decline of its business, and eventually its closure.
TopicsSocial Media
(责任编辑：娛樂)
Samsung Galaxy Note7 teardown reveals the magic behind the phone's iris scanner
Remember George Clooney's tequila company? He just sold it for $1 billionOur first look inside Starbucks' newest Japan outlet, in a 100The future of the iPhone camera: 5x zoom, AIMashReads Podcast: What makes a good summer read?WhatsApp announces plans to share user data with Facebook
Big changes are coming to WhatsApp. 。On Thursday, WhatsApp announced in a blog post it will begin sha
...[详细]Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 details leaked in full
Samsung's Galaxy S8 is easily the sexiest
。 looking。phone on the planet with its curved edge-to-edge
...[详细]'Rick and Morty' update brings Mr. Poopybutthole to 'Rocket League'
Ah jeez, the。 Rick and Morty。universe is colliding with
。 Rocket League
。for the game's second anniver
...[详细]The struggle is real for Jon Hamm because he's hot
All of us average-looking people can only speculate what it's like to be a super good-looking person
...[详细]SINGAPORE -- Getting stuff done at the bank often involves having to waste part of your day standing
...[详细]The reason this dog only eats half her food will break your heart
Grab a tissue and a shoulder to cry on, because you may need it for this emotional journey.
。Filmmake
...[详细]Sisters surprise their stepdad with the best Father's Day gift ever
Father's Day is a day to celebrate all kinds of father figures, no matter the biological relationshi
...[详细]Friendly island doggo followed a street view mapper and photobombed all his shots
It's not easy carrying a street view camera backpack around, but we imagine it's much better with a
...[详细]Tyler, the Creator helped Frank Ocean celebrate 'Blonde' release in a delicious way
The release of Frank Ocean's。 Blonde。is a cause for celebration to the fans who waited four years fo
...[详细]Your new house could have built in Wi
The Wi-Fi Alliance, the non-profit organization that certifies Wi-Fi enabled products, is ready to u
...[详细]17 questions you can answer if you're a good communicator
One major question remains for Uber: Why is its head of HR still there?