{"id":1545,"date":"2009-12-11T21:13:21","date_gmt":"2009-12-12T02:13:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rbachnet.wwwmi3-ss40.a2hosted.com\/?p=1545"},"modified":"2022-12-30T12:36:10","modified_gmt":"2022-12-30T17:36:10","slug":"insurers-astroturf-facebook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rbach.net\/index.php\/insurers-astroturf-facebook\/","title":{"rendered":"Insurers Astroturf Facebook"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"InsurersThe Business Insider<\/em><\/a> reports<\/a> that health insurance industry<\/strong> trade groups opposed to<\/strong> President Obama’s<\/a> health care reform<\/strong> bill are paying Facebook<\/strong><\/a> users. The trade group is Facebook users virtual currency to send letters to Congress protesting the bill. When Facebook users play a social game, like “FarmVille<\/strong><\/a>” or “Mafia Wars<\/strong><\/a>,\u201d the gamers get virtual currency<\/strong> in three ways:<\/p>\n

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  1. Winning it playing the games<\/li>\n
  2. Paying for it with real money<\/li>\n
  3. By accepting offers from third parties who agree to give the gamer virtual currency so long as that gamer agrees to try a product or service. This is done through an “offers” provider — a middleman that brings the companies, Facebook, and the Facebook game maker’s users together.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Blue Cross Blue Shield opposition to healthcare reform<\/h3>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    It’s this third method that an anti-reform group called “Get Health Reform Right” which is funded and directed<\/strong> by mega-insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield<\/strong><\/a> according to SourceWatch<\/a><\/em> is using to pay gamers virtual currency for their opposition to health-care reform<\/strong>. This practice of paying people to act like political supporters is called “astroturfing<\/strong>,” because of the fake grass-roots<\/strong> campaigning. The Insurance Companies\u2019 Political Action Committee astroturfing is targeting women in their 30s and 40s and teenagers of both sexes who tend to be Facebook gamers according to Business Insider.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Instead of asking the gamers to try a product, “Get Health Reform Right” requires gamers to take a survey<\/strong>, which, upon completion, automatically sends<\/strong> the following email<\/strong> to their Congressional Representative<\/a>, including:<\/p>\n

    “I am concerned a new government plan could cause me to lose the employer coverage I have today. More government bureaucracy will only create more problems, not solve the ones we have.”<\/p>\n

    Under the “Who We Are<\/strong>” tab on GetHealthReformRight.org<\/a> (appears down on 12-10-09) the following organizations are listed:<\/p>\n