  The omnipresent COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to a parallel spreading of
misinformation, also referred to as an Infodemic. Consequently, social media
have become targets for the application of social bots, that is, algorithms
that mimic human behaviour. Their ability to exert influence on social media
can be exploited by amplifying misinformation, rumours, or conspiracy theories
which might be harmful to society and the mastery of the pandemic. By applying
social bot detection and content analysis techniques, this study aims to
determine the extent to which social bots interfere with COVID- 19 discussions
on Twitter. A total of 78 presumptive bots were detected within a sample of
542,345 users. The analysis revealed that bot-like users who disseminate
misinformation, at the same time, intersperse news from renowned sources. The
findings of this research provide implications for improved bot detection and
managing potential threats through social bots during ongoing and future
crises.
