Fake accounts have invaded the micro-blogging platform, with an estimated 48 million bots on Twitter, according to study by the University of Southern California and Indiana University.

The study involves over 1,000 screenings to identify bot accounts on the platform across six categories, using Twitter's most recent figure of 319 million active monthly users.

With estimated 9 percent and 15 percent of Twitter's active monthly users as bots, which translates to 28.7 million to 47.9 million bots on the social media platform.

The researchers suggested, however, that the 15 percent figure is a "conservative estimate" given the sophisticated nature of most modern bots, which could possibly have been identified as real accounts.

While Twitter has been under the spotlight due to bots activities, as typically, bots are easy means to engage in unethical and illegal activities.

Twitter puts the figure of bot accounts a little above 27 million, restating its previous estimate that 8.5 percent of its active monthly users are automated accounts.

Research: Fake accounts invade the micro-blogging platform, Twitter

Fake accounts have invaded the micro-blogging platform, with an estimated 48 million bots on Twitter, according to study by the University of Southern California and Indiana University.

The study involves over 1,000 screenings to identify bot accounts on the platform across six categories, using Twitter's most recent figure of 319 million active monthly users.

With estimated 9 percent and 15 percent of Twitter's active monthly users as bots, which translates to 28.7 million to 47.9 million bots on the social media platform.

The researchers suggested, however, that the 15 percent figure is a "conservative estimate" given the sophisticated nature of most modern bots, which could possibly have been identified as real accounts.

While Twitter has been under the spotlight due to bots activities, as typically, bots are easy means to engage in unethical and illegal activities.

Twitter puts the figure of bot accounts a little above 27 million, restating its previous estimate that 8.5 percent of its active monthly users are automated accounts.