The Klout score, now obsolete since its closure in May 2018, was a key indicator for assessing an individual’s engagement and impact on social media platforms. Its name referred to the eponymous service responsible for this evaluation. In 2015, Klout boasted of analyzing 400 different signals across eight major social networks to generate this social score. The theoretical maximum Klout score reached 100, and the highest-scoring French personalities hovered around 70, while Barack Obama boasted an impressive 99.

Despite substantial changes to its methodology, criticisms arose against the Klout score, which was described more as a reflection of online activity and responsiveness than a true indicator of influence. Some argued that this tool was more geared towards celebrities and that it lost its effectiveness in specialized professional sectors. The limitations inherent in this type of influence measurement are well documented. For example, the author of this article has a very low score, primarily due to their limited presence on social media.