An American polling company has confessed to deliberately publishing fabricated survey results during two U.S. election campaigns, claiming the deception was part of a "social experiment" designed to examine how unverified political data circulates through media outlets and social networks.
Following the revelation, the firm, Median Strategies, announced it was ceasing operations.
Among the false polls the company released was one showing Los Angeles mayoral candidate Karen Bass with a 12-point lead in the primary election, and another indicating Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong ahead by 20 points.
In reality, both races proved far more competitive than the fabricated surveys suggested. The fake polls nonetheless gained traction across social media platforms, news websites, and even local television broadcasts.
In a statement, Median Strategies described itself as a "short-term social experiment" designed to examine how information presented as polling data can enter the political information ecosystem and spread without independent verification. The company insisted it had no connections to any candidate, political party, or political action committee.
