Yeah I completely agree. But it's everywhere though! Sure Steemit feels 'safe' but most social media platforms are infiltrated by 'shills' of some kind of another. I'm sure for crypto the paid shills are active on Steemit just as they are on Reddit - so I've no doubt that for political purposes the same plays are being made.

I'm not sure it's possible to really really trust the other person on the other side unless you are able to somehow gauge their reputation to you personally: whether you personally trust them to tell the truth or not.

Perhaps this is why digital identities are going to play a large role in the future. When anonimity disappears on public forums, people suddenly become accountable and fake accounts become a thing of the past.