WASHINGTON, Dec 11 (Reuters) – A central barrier to the creation of bogus social media accounts can be bypassed for as little as a few cents at a time, researchers at the University of Cambridge determined, a sign of just how low the barriers are to online disinformation efforts.

Digital platforms have a variety ‍of defenses against fake accounts and scammers, but a key one is the practice of sending a code via text message, or SMS, to a phone number. These activation texts are meant to ensure that each account is connected to a genuine phone, but researchers mapped out an array of SMS activation services that offer throwaway phone numbers, typically for less than 30 U.S. cents apiece.

The findings, published Thursday in the journal Science, show that a central roadblock to account fraud

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