If “engagement” is a tap in, which this article is not clear on, then it’s a piss poor measurement of engagement.

I think bots are “good” for making an item appear viral through artificial amplification of visibility. Of note, the headlines in Gaza and Israel pre 2024 election were a deluge. Multiples every day. Post election, that deluge of posts dropped abruptly, to 0-1 a day.

There also needs to be a distinction between passive and active engagement.