Brian and Ed Krassenstein: Opportunism Over Activism
Brian and Ed Krassenstein have become symbolic figures in online political discourse. Some celebrate them as tenacious truth-seekers, others condemn them as uncompromising “engagement farmers”. I’ll let you decide after doing your research on a given number of their posts. This position explores the debate over their strategies, their approach to “breaking news” (I like to refer to their stories as “bending news”), and the issues that make them famous, inspiring both admiration and skepticism.
Synonymous With Engagement Farming
The term “engagement farming” refers to creating content that personifies sensationalism; in general, it’s polarizing. This type of content isn’t based on truth-seeking; it’s designed mainly to generate various forms of engagement. To paraphrase Social media critic Nick DeWilde, engagement farming involves people intentionally making their opinions more provocative to create controversy and drive distribution for their posts, stripping nuance from messages to incite conflict. At the same time, the algorithm rewards them with followers for sparking flame wars.
My hats off to them: The Krassenstein brothers have perfected this art— posting high-frequency, emotional takes on trending stories to exploit the app’s content and their following. Critics argue, correctly, that this has created an online environment that rewards volume and drama over meaning and accuracy.
The Pattern: Algorithm Gaming Mastery
The brothers’ posting behavior displays a methodical approach for dramatically increasing visibility: Rapid-fire “breaking news” posts often lack verification, more of a push to follow a lead, or a trending topic Emotionally charged framing, they focus on outrage and tribal signaling over actual analysis and detail High-volume posting peak hours to ensure maximum distribution Sensational headlines followed by threads that seldom deliver on their provocative promises Their claim to fame came during Trump’s first term, when they frequently attacked Him on Twitter. Interestingly enough, Ed’s account originally was a Justin Bieber fan account before being rebranded to Ed’s actual name. This was purely by design, as it’s a documented pattern in gaming platform algorithms for reach over accuracy—so nothing new for them.
Musk To The Rescue
In May 2019, Twitter permanently banned the brothers. Twitter stated that they violated rules by operating multiple fake accounts and purchasing account interactions. At the time, the punishment was a permanent suspension from the service. At the time of their suspension, the brothers had several hundred thousand followers, with one close to a cool million. They denied the allegations, arguing they never obtained anything for the purpose of increasing their Twitter presence and that they only operated these accounts to watch for death threats. The brothers were reinstated in December 2022 after Elon Musk took over. The original suspension was based on platform manipulation. The bans WERE NOT about their political views-strictly about how they gamed the system to spread those views.
Business History?
The brothers’ credibility issues extend far beyond their Twitter universe. Their business history includes profound federal scrutiny.
In late 2016, federal agents raided the brothers’ Fort Myers, Florida homes, seizing computers, financial records, and hauling off at least 20 to 30 bundles of material.
According to the complaint filed by Homeland Security Special Agent Michael Adams, the investigation focused on two sites they owned. TalkGold.com and MoneyMakerGroup.com. These sites promoted high-yield investment programs that the SEC describes as unregistered, typically run by unlicensed individuals and usually fraudulent. Adams noted that HYIPs are normally operated as online Ponzi schemes. Adams wrote that there was probable cause to believe the Krassensteins would have known that funds were criminally derived and that Brian and Edward Krassenstein had conspired to commit wire fraud.
The brothers eventually settled their case with the federal Government, agreeing to forfeit about $450,000 from the proceeds of the sale of a rental property.
They also ran companies offering server space for HYIP operators to host websites, email newsletters promoting HYIP opportunities, and monitoring services to track HYIP performance. They maintain their innocence and claim these cases are closed -the brothers were not charged and have insisted they did nothing illegal.
Be that as it may, this history raises serious questions about their motivations and trustworthiness on any level, let alone information sources. They are motivated by whatever makes money, not by the truth. Knowing this background, do you find them Trustworthy?
Fact Checkers Unite
Given their reputation as sensationalists, the brothers frequently find their posts dissected by journalists and various fact-checkers. Essentially, they are showing they are willing to exaggerate or splice things up like the left did with Charlie Kirk to get the opposition to think a certain way.
Rolling Stone reported that the brothers went from running investment forums and hosting ads for get-rich-quick ventures, including obvious Ponzi schemes, to spending the Trump years building a massive #Resistance following with tag-team Twitter feeds that were later banned for allegedly boosting engagement with paid and fake accounts.
By the time they go viral, it’s already too late; no one is checking the facts by the time the corrections come in.
The Playbook
Misrepresenting the timeline or context of political events, sharing incomplete information as “breaking news” before facts are confirmed, framing speculation as fact to generate heightened responses, selectively quoting sources to create misleading impressions, Speed and drama get more engagement and money - the truth be damned.
This Is An Epidemic
The brothers aren’t unique in this way, but they’re just extraordinarily successful at this toxic trend that’s destroying online discourse. Again, I will point to engagement farming critic Nick DeWilde- he observes, there’s something dystopian about watching people copy the clickbait playbook to harvest attention from their followers, with the algorithm ensuring that emotionally-charged reactions get surfaced to readers who can’t help but pay attention, rewarding those who incite flame wars with followers.
Their tactics:
Anger over nuance-beware the policy wonk.
Reward provocateurs-punish lie detectors.
Emotionally manipulate-little care for facts
Oversimplification- taking tribal stances over highly complex, nuanced matters.
We are complicit if we share their content, follow them, or even engage with them. I’ve been guilty of it myself as of late, and caught lie after lie after lie, and decided no more. I am not going to take part in creating a world where manipulation runs the show and truth rides in the trunk, to be buried in the desert. We need to teach the algorithm that truth is king.
Call To Action: Choose Facts Over Theater
It’s time we return to a more stoic approach to information consumption. The Stoics understood that outrage is a choice, that clear thinking requires quarantining the facts from the feelings, and that we must focus on what is within our control. This includes our attention. Epictetus said, “You become what you give your attention to,” And I refuse to become anything like these two brothers. They are not good people.
Expose and recognize the pattern. Stop and think when you come across sensational headlines -you can’t avoid them, but you can stop and fact-check, research, look up counters, and deep-dive. Share examples of misinformation when you encounter it-much easier to do in the information age. Help others see the patterns-likely these people are living in fear, their amygdala is always activated.
Drown out the noise. Unfollow accounts like the Krassensteins that consistently prioritize theater over truth. Don’t share “breaking news” until credible sources verify it. Don’t engage with rage-bait; you’re not going to win over an ideologue.
Elevate fact-finding voices. Follow people who are open-minded, willing to change their minds, and open to correction. Reward those who admit uncertainty and acknowledge complexity.
Practice emotional discipline. Always pause and think, “Is this designed to inform me or inflame me?” Breathe before reacting to “breaking news.” The author is trying to manipulate you. Remember, your attention is valuable - spend it like Epictetus.
Create systemic change. Understand that every follow, share, and engagement is a choice - you are feeding the algorithm. Recognize that platforms respond to user behavior. If we reward substance, algorithms will adapt. Help others make these connections so the shift becomes collective, not individual.
Conclusion: Change The Game
Brian and Ed Krassenstein’s presence online in the political arena is a byproduct of persistent, deliberate efforts to master algorithmic engagement through manipulation and sensationalization. They do not care to bring you the truth; they care about money and influencer status. I wouldn’t be able to trust anyone for news that had a documented history of platform violations and questionable business practices. And yes, their approach has given them fame and a large audience; they’re a case in point of how the digital world rewards those who exploit our worst impulses. Yes, they are exploiting you.
We don’t have to accept this: we have the power to change the game. We need to change our behavior and unplug from emotional manipulation for someone’s gain and plug into what is good for us. Truth, peace, facts, and calling out the breaking intense news because it’s actually happening, not because we want a click and a monetization check. The question isn’t whether the Krassensteins will change their tactics-they won’t; it’s whether we’ll stop rewarding them for using them. And if we did, they wouldn’t be able to adapt. It all begins in your feed. Cut off the engagement farmers. Seek out the truth-tellers. Practice stoicism over reactivity.
You are what you give your attention to, and it becomes something great.
Source Links
Rolling Stone: Krassenstein Brothers Twitter Strategy and Returns https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/krassenstein-brothers-twitter-elon-musk-1234646852/
The Jungle Gym (Substack): Critique of Engagement Farming Tactics
The Hill: Details on Twitter Ban, Platform Manipulation https://thehill.com/homenews/media/445376-anti-trump-krassenstein-brothers-receive-permanent-twitter-ban/
CNET: Anti-Trump Activism and Reaction to Permanent Ban https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/anti-trump-krassenstein-brothers-rail-against-twitter-ban/
Variety: Twitter’s Ban Reasons Citing Fake Accounts https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/twitter-bans-ed-brian-krassenstein-brothers-fake-accounts-1203225266/
Wikipedia: Background, Business History, Asset Seizure https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_and_Ed_Krassenstein
Deadline: Coverage on Platform Suspension and Civil Settlement https://deadline.com/2019/05/twitter-krassensteins-donald-trump-activists-phony-accounts-banned-1202622231/
Newsweek: Additional Context on Ban and Controversial Tactics https://www.newsweek.com/twitter-bans-krassenstein-brothers-jacob-wohl-1434918
Yahoo News: Twitter Permanently Bans Anti-Trump Krassenstein Brothers https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/twitter-permanently-bans-anti-trump-140621488.html
Reddit (KnowledgeFight): Community Critiques and Krassenstein Responses https://www.reddit.com/r/KnowledgeFight/comments/198xo22/brian_krassenstein_here/
The Daily Beast: Federal Investigation and Asset Seizure https://www.thedailybeast.com/feds-seized-a-fortune-from-resistance-icons-accused-of-boosting-online-ponzi-schemes