Do you mean investors are trying to manipulate stocks by planting stories? Yeah, I think so. But intelligence agencies have whole training programs on how to manipulate narratives, and a very long track record of doing so.

See: Israel’s hasbara apparatus,

GCHQ leaked documents on infiltrating and derailing socialist discussions,

Church Committee Hearings,

“The Cultural Cold War” by Frances Stonor Saunders.

The top hits for my “WSB” search are:

• World Sports Betting

• r/WallStreetBets

• World Superbikes

I don’t think any of their goons are astroturfing (well, maybe World Superbikes). Did you mean a different entity?

Good evidence of astroturfing on Reddit. That Reddit took action and banned the Palantir agents only provides evidence that exposure of the op is the problem. Not evidence that Reddit acts in good faith.

Apple is also super good with software updates on old hardware.

Except for that time they deliberately slowed down older phones with software updates so people would buy new phones.