Rahil Prakash, 21, Ran Fake Poll Site Shared in 3 States
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 20
Rahil Prakash, 21, Ran Fake Poll Site Shared in 3 States
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 20
Summary
Median Strategies, an anonymous polling site that abruptly withdrew its surveys this week, was run by 21-year-old recent graduate Rahil Prakash, the Guardian reported.
Prakash said he created the fake Wisconsin, Nevada and California polls as a “short-term social experiment” to test whether fabricated data could spread after a notable Michigan primary polling miss.
More than 10-point and 20-point claimed leads helped the polls gain traction: Karen Bass cited a Los Angeles survey, a California outlet published it, and an X polling aggregator shared the Nevada poll.
The site had about 20 X followers and launched on August 9, yet Prakash said AI helped him make it look credible enough to circulate without independent verification.
The episode drew condemnation from the American Association of Political Consultants and underscored how easily a lone operator could inject false election data into campaign and media ecosystems.