Bots, or bits of code that automatically post to social media, are integral to the Internet. Google uses bots to crawl search results, and businesses use them to post automated messages.

More recently, bots are being used by governments mimic social media users and manipulate public opinion.

In 2015, more than 40 countries deployed political bots, says Samuel Woolley, a PhD candidate at the University of Washington. His team has logged more than 100 cases of bots designed to sway elections, pad follower counts, or spread propaganda during political crises.

Here are five countries that use bots to promote their agendas.