TechnologyAugust 16, 2026

astroturfing

AS-truh-tur-fing

Definition

The deceptive practice of masking the sponsors of a message or organization to make it appear as though it originates from and is supported by grassroots participants.

Etymology

Derived from AstroTurf, a brand of synthetic grass used in sports stadiums. The term was coined in the mid-1980s to describe artificial 'grassroots' support.

In the news

The article lists the curbing of astroturfing as a key objective of the EU's AI Act, highlighting the importance of protecting the information ecosystem from artificial, coordinated campaigns.

Anthropic says it will add invisible AI watermark to show when you use Claude, but it is okay

Read the full article ↗

India Today

Related words

differentiator

A feature or factor that distinguishes a person or product from others, making it…

Technology

disinformation

False or misleading information that is deliberately spread with the intent to deceive or…

Technology

divesting

The act of selling off, disposing of, or offloading business assets, investments, or…

Technology

geofences

Virtual geographic boundaries or zones defined by software, within which autonomous…

Technology

geopolitical

Relating to the influence of geography, economics, and demographics on international…

Technology

incentivized

Motivated or encouraged to perform a specific action, typically by the offer of a reward…

Technology

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.