Fine Gael: We don't buy Facebook 'likes'

The party says its Budget Q&A was spammed with thousands of inauthentic ‘likes’.

By Hugh O'Connell Thursday 16 Oct 2014, 9:48 AM

Oct 16th 2014, 9:48 AM 13,348 Views 73 Comments

https://jrnl.ie/1727309

FINE GAEL HAS insisted it does not buy Facebook ‘likes’ after a post-Budget Q&A with junior minister Simon Harris attracted over 2,500 ‘likes’, many of them from overseas profiles.

The party faced accusations last night of buying Facebook ‘likes’ in an attempt to boost its profile on the social media website after the post with Harris’s Q&A attracted thousands of ‘likes’ in contrast to many of the others status updates on the page.

simon harris q and a 1 Source: Fine Gael via Facebook

A quick scan of those who had ‘liked’ the post showed that many of the profiles appeared to be from overseas and inauthentic users:

FG Facebook Likes

This morning the party said that the post had been spammed.

In another post on its Facebook page, the party said that inauthentic users were posting requests for genuine users of the Fine Gael Facebook page to add them as friends.

A spokesperson for the party told TheJournal.ie: “We don’t buy ‘likes’. We don’t know how to buy ‘likes’.”

Read: Yes, this TD really did say she likes to lather butter all over herself and pretend she’s a slug

Short URL

About the author:

About the author

Hugh O'Connell

@oconnellhugh

hugh@thejournal.ie

See more articles by Hugh O'Connell

Contribute to this story:

Send a Correction

COMMENTS (73)

∞

About Us

Corrections

Report Content

Policies

TheJournal.ie supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1890 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie

Please note that TheJournal.ie uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising. For more information on cookies please refer to our cookies policy.

News images provided by Press Association and Photocall Ireland unless otherwise stated. Irish sport images provided by Inpho Photography unless otherwise stated. Wire service provided by Associated Press.

Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for user created content, posts, comments, submissions or preferences. Users are reminded that they are fully responsible for their own created content and their own posts, comments and submissions and fully and effectively warrant and indemnify Journal Media in relation to such content and their ability to make such content, posts, comments and submissions available. Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Fine Gael: We don't buy Facebook 'likes'

The party says its Budget Q&A was spammed with thousands of inauthentic ‘likes’.