Simplistic Collection and Labeling Practices Limit the Utility of Benchmark Datasets for Twitter Bot Detection

Understand

Accurate bot detection is necessary for the safety and integrity of online platforms.

• It is also crucial for research on the influence of bots in elections, the spread of misinformation, and financial market manipulation.
• Platforms deploy infrastructure to flag or remove automated accounts, but their tools and data are not publicly available.
• Thus, the public must rely on third-party bot detection.