Everyone knows Facebook is trash.

Of course, so is Xitter, but they have fundamentally different problems.

Xitter's problem is mostly criminal in nature -- online harassment, violent threats, CSAM (child "porn").

Facebook's is more cultural -- saturated with disinformation and a generally less intelligent audience.

Until recently, Threads has managed to be above the more unsavory issues Facebook has, despite being owned/operated by the same company (Meta).

Between Dec. 2024 and June 2025, threads gained 15.1 million total daily active users, and the site showed stable, organic growth after that-- until this past January.

They've gained +100 million active users so far this year, according to estimates (official numbers are not out yet -- but it's an order of magnitude more.

So if you're on threads and you've noticed a large influx of instigator accounts sowing division between communities, acting as caricatures, stereotypes or playing out tropes, & posting obsessively about a handful of topics, you're not alone.

A lot of those new accounts are ops.

Because this information is useful no matter which platform you're on, I'm sharing it here:

Hallmarks of these instigator accounts are:

1. No/few posts, only replies

2. Repeating talking points, often verbatim

3. Following/engaging with a small, concentrated group

4. Irrational, emotional, aggressive and obsessive posting

5. Target replies to high-impact/trending accounts/topics

6. Comments/replies often/all day

7. Regional/country information hidden in account info

8. More recent account creation date (past year)

9. Lots of Mis/Disinformation

10. Often no/fake profile pic

Instigators aren't the same as bots or even really trolls.

Bots are typically automated and limited in content. Trolls post inflammatory content just to get a response.

Instigators are often real people managing multiple accounts, working (paid) to do a specific type of job with a narrow scope. They don't care if you respond, or how you respond, they're sent to attack, using many accounts at once. . The goal isn't necessarily to provoke you -- it's to create the illusion of a "majority thought" and make their cause seem right. Silence is the ultimate outcome, not rage -- cancellation, not argument.

That often comes with spreading false information

Lately on Threads, a lot of these instigator accounts have been weaponizing racial identity, most often to attack critics of politicians, or even influencers on social media who themselves are often paid to promote specific people/candidates/causes.

It comes off as cult-like behavior and is meant to undermine/harm reputable non-white/progressive creators in favor of centrist/liberal ones, create anger/tension, and make Black people look belligerent, racist, ignorant, or single-issue voters only concerned with race.

Creators who do not denounce this activity when done on their behalf likely are aware of/participating in/paying for it.

And unfortunately, real people do sometimes get caught up in these campaigns. That's why it's important to know how to spot them.

The most important things to remember when dealing with/seeing this activity:

Most of these accounts are not real people and/or they're being paid You can (and should) block these accounts These accounts do not represent a community Social media is not real life