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Investigation Reveals 21-Year-Old Created Fake Election Polling Website Median Strategies
Just the facts
Prakash constructed the website using artificial intelligence tools to publish fabricated polling results for political races in California, Wisconsin, and Nevada. In California, the fake polling placed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ahead of challenger Nithya Raman by double digits, leading Bass and news outlets to cite the figures. The site also published fake figures showing Francesca Hong leading the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary by more than 20 percentage points and showing Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo leading by five points. Following inquiries from news reporters, Median Strategies ceased operations and removed its content, prompting the American Association of Political Consultants to issue a statement condemning the publication of fabricated survey data. Prakash stated that he initiated the project independently to evaluate how unverified polling numbers circulate within the political ecosystem.
Why this is news
An investigation identified 21-year-old Rahil Prakash as the creator of Median Strategies, an anonymous website that published fabricated election polling data across multiple state races. Prakash acknowledged operating the site, which shut down after publishing a statement describing the project as a social experiment.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.