Managing Opinion Spamming with AI in Regulatory Public Engagement
Jeong‐Nam Kim, Loarre Andreu Perez, Hyelim Lee, James Hollenczer, Matthew L. Jensen, Elena Bessarabova, Neil Talbert, Yifu Li · International Journal of Strategic Communication · 2025
This study examines the problem of opinion spamming in eRulemaking, where mass or fraudulent comments disrupt regulatory public engagement, threatening policy outcomes. Based on 14 in-depth interviews with agency professionals and experts, we identified common challenges including administrative burden, distorted public opinion representation, and eroded trust. The study proposes a model integrating strategic communication theories to enhance public engagement while ensuring transparency and ethics. The findings suggest best practices for utilizing AI to identify genuine and substantive comments, enhance interactivity, maintain informed democratic participation, and foster a symmetrical and inclusive eRulemaking process.