sock puppet (redirected from Sockpuppetry)

sock puppet

A phony name made up by a user in order to masquerade as someone else on the Internet. Sock puppets can make controversial comments or vote for or against a cause without revealing their identity. They may respond to their own Usenet or blog posts praising the articles they wrote themselves or disagree with comments criticizing them on other sites.

The term comes from a pretend person made by placing a sock over one's hand. See meat puppet and astroturfing.