sockpuppetry

English

Etymology

From sock puppet +‎ -ry, under influence from puppetry.

Noun

sockpuppetry (uncountable)

  1. The use of sock puppets, especially (Internet, derogatory) the use of pseudonymous online accounts for abuse.
    • 2007, Jonathon Keats, Control + Alt + Delete: A Dictionary of Cyberslang
      The facelessness of the internet makes sockpuppetry all too tempting for many.
    • 2014, Timothy R. Levine, Encyclopedia of Deception, Vol. II, s.v. Sockpuppetry:
      On the Internet, the new form of false identities is termed sock puppetry... the term came to be applied to people who would assume a false identity and then join an Internet group. The term has been extended to include people who use false identities on the Internet in order to deceive others.
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