Core Points - The article discusses the prevalence of vote buying and manipulation in online voting systems, highlighting the emergence of a gray industry around this practice [1][2][4] - It emphasizes the negative impact of these practices on fairness and integrity in competitions, as well as the risks to personal information security [4][5] Group 1: Vote Buying Practices - Online voting has led to a rise in vote buying, with individuals and companies offering services to artificially inflate vote counts [1][2] - There are two main methods of vote manipulation: machine voting, which is cheaper but easier to detect, and manual voting, which is more expensive but harder to identify [2][3] - A specific example includes a company offering to generate 10,000 votes for 70 yuan, utilizing a network of individuals with multiple devices to ensure diverse IP addresses [2][3] Group 2: Industry Dynamics - The vote buying industry operates through various channels, including dedicated companies and informal groups on social media platforms [2][3] - Participants in these groups, referred to as "voters," earn money by assisting others in voting, often through small payments [3] - The industry is characterized by a detailed division of labor among its participants, including roles such as telemarketers and technical staff [3] Group 3: Challenges and Recommendations - The difficulty in proving vote buying and the high costs of enforcement contribute to the persistence of this issue [4] - Experts suggest that event organizers should limit voting to specific groups to enhance fairness and reduce the demand for paid voting services [5] - It is recommended that organizers carefully consider the implications of online voting to avoid compromising the integrity of their events [5]

"最美从业者，等你来投票""帮忙投个票，亲戚家孩子""投票有礼，点赞有奖，快来助力"……生活中， 不少人都收到过亲朋好友发来的投票邀请，有的是为了争先评优，有的是为了参赛评奖。这些五花八门 的网络投票，本意是为彰显参赛者的群众基础，却催生出拉票甚至买票刷票问题，乃至形成了灰色产业 链。 四川南充市网友张先生反映，当地有机构组织了一次"萌宝才艺大赛"，通过网络投票决出胜者。"活动 本身是好事，但是评选结果由网络投票决定，家长们搞起了拉票大战。有人甚至花钱买票来提高孩子的 得票数，有的孩子得票数在很短时间内噌噌上涨，违背了活动的初衷。"张先生说。 同样，湖北武汉市读者刘女士也反映刷票带来的不公平竞争。"我参加了一项业务比赛，初赛后，举办 方开启了网络投票。网络投票结果计入最后的比赛成绩。拉票可以理解，但有人明显买票了。"刘女士 介绍，活动开始几小时后，大部分参赛选手都只有几十票或者百余票时，有的选手已超过4万票。 业内人士表示，在刷票产业链上，一些公司有详细的内部分工，如话务员、技术员、推广员等，许多个 人信息是通过非法盗取或骗取得到。 网络买票刷票，有损比赛或市场的公平公正性，导致诚信缺失，还给个人信息安全带来 ...