Bots

A bot is a program used to perform tasks online that are normally done by humans. 

Bots can simplify and speed up various online tasks. The most well-known bot is the chatbot (that automatically responds to chat messages). For example, a chatbot is always accessible and makes few to no mistakes in spelling. Additionally, bots are often used in the investment world, but also, for example, to generate likes on Instagram to give you, to play online games, or to content to put on a website. Also Google has its own bot. The Googlebot doesn't just focus on Search engine optimization, but also on how the crawlers van Google access a website. 

Unfortunately, bots also have disadvantages. For example, bots can visitor numbers manipulating a website or bypassing digital security, with all the consequences that entails. Unfortunately, Instagram has millions of bots in the form of fake accounts. These fake accounts automatically post thousands comments en likes per minute. In the bio of these fake accounts, you'll find a link to an unreliable website. From there, the bots uncover all sorts of data about the person who clicked on the link.

Although Instagram is increasingly cracking down on the use of bots, bot software is also becoming more sophisticated. Therefore, it will become increasingly difficult to detect bots in the future. This is especially true for larger accounts, such as mega-influencers, are experiencing a lot of trouble from these bots.