I wouldn't even go that far. People will pay for followers, so people will make companies that sell followers, that are bots and not real people. Not everything needs to go quite that deep. There's even public API support for message automation, timing etc. Also they've been damn open about manipulation for years, even writing "how to" guides publicly. https://marketing.twitter.com/en/perspectives/create-a-thunderclap-moment-to-connect-in-the-now-part-one