Dan Schneider, writing for The Atlantic, said "There might be some gray area between offering a small token of appreciation to otherwise voluntary supporters and full-blown astroturfing, but spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars to prop up a struggling cause seems to fit more squarely in the latter category."
Schneider also noted that Swart admitted "a revelation that a campaign is paying for supporters is deeply embarrassing, and he takes great pains to keep his clients’ identities a secret.
"[6] According to a February 2016 report for NBC Los Angeles, a paid protester claimed to be "a concerned citizen" when speaking out against a planned development in a city council meeting for Camarillo, California in 2015.
Swart claimed the company has "worked with dozens of campaigns for state officials, and 2016 presidential candidates" but declined to identify his clients for fear of losing future business.
[14] In October 2018, Zdeněk Bakala filed suit in federal court in South Carolina, alleging Crowds on Demand attempted to extort millions of dollars from him.