Astroturfing: a technique to create the impression of grassroots support for a cause or product

Interesting report from The Guardian on Wednesday here who note the difficulty in trying to define the moral boundary between viral and stealth marketing, and between slick political organising and voter manipulation. An EU directive enacted in Britain last year made astroturfing illegal, and there have been similar moves in the US. But it is hard to police: lawmakers are swimming against a huge technological and commercial tide.