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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsSome TikTok and Threads users asked security researcher Marcus Hutchins to publish the code for an experimental anti-troll bot on GitHub, according to Cybernews. The report offers examples of requests, not evidence of a platform-wide demand, and it does not show that the code is available.
How Hutchins reportedly used the bot
Cybernews’s October 5, 2026, account of Hutchins’s explanation describes a partly manual process. He reviewed mean comments, checked profiles for suspected serial harassers, and added selected accounts to a watchlist. When those accounts replied in the future, a script sent their messages to a local language model, which generated answers intended to keep them engaged.
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The reported prompt instructed the model: “You are a calm, confident human being…You are dealing with a troll, and your job is to be as annoying as possible while still keeping them engaged.” This is a description reported by Cybernews, not a review of source code; the report does not link to a repository.
Why he wanted trolls talking to a bot
Hutchins reportedly framed the approach as a way to divert harassment from people who might be less equipped to handle it. Cybernews quoted him saying, “Trolls tend to spray and prey,” and that it would be “really cool to divert all of the trolls into arguing with bots, so they can’t find real victims who aren’t well equipped to deal with trolls.” That is the experiment’s stated aim, not evidence that it protected anyone.
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What the reported three-day experiment can tell us
Cybernews says Hutchins ran the experiment for three days. It recounts one anecdote in which a troll reportedly engaged with the bot for about 20 minutes a day, and another in which a user continued replying after Hutchins disclosed that a bot was involved. The outlet also reported 8,000 likes on a Threads post revealing the experiment. These are news-reported anecdotes and an engagement count, not independent measurements.
The account presents no controlled evaluation, sample size, or comparison with human moderation or other interventions. It therefore does not establish that automated replies reduce harassment, protect targets, or work across platforms. Keeping an abusive account occupied is not the same as reducing its reach or preventing harm.
Why Hutchins reportedly did not scale it
According to Cybernews, Hutchins said he wished he could scale the bot but believed doing so would violate platform terms of service. The report does not identify any specific terms or provide a legal analysis, so it does not establish that a particular rule was violated. It also does not say whether he later published the code or changed his position.
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Cybernews reported requests for the code, including one TikTok commenter’s plea: “Please tell me ur code is on github. Link it please.” A request is not proof of publication: the article does not show a GitHub repository or confirm that the code is available.
The reporting describes a specific experiment, not an established product or a tested moderation method. Anyone considering a similar approach would need to weigh whether it actually reduces targets’ exposure, how automated responses are reviewed, whether the platform permits the activity, and whether provocative replies could escalate an interaction. Cybernews’s account provides no comparative evidence on those questions.
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