EIGHT Social Media Manipulation
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Marco Bastos
Abstract
This chapter discusses the emergence of the disinformation landscape that supported influence operations deployed in the Brexit referendum, a watershed development resulting from the shift in the governance of social technologies from communities of users to social media algorithms. We revisit key events such as the deployment of data-driven microtargeting in political campaigns epitomized by the Cambridge Analytica data scandal and the ensuing data lockdown enforced by social media platforms. These developments severely restricted independent research on mis/disinformation campaigns by preventing data access to social media data and rendering problematic content, including mis- and disinformation, increasingly more inscrutable and unobservable. The chapter concludes with a set of lessons learned from studying disinformation during the Brexit campaign.
Abstract
This chapter discusses the emergence of the disinformation landscape that supported influence operations deployed in the Brexit referendum, a watershed development resulting from the shift in the governance of social technologies from communities of users to social media algorithms. We revisit key events such as the deployment of data-driven microtargeting in political campaigns epitomized by the Cambridge Analytica data scandal and the ensuing data lockdown enforced by social media platforms. These developments severely restricted independent research on mis/disinformation campaigns by preventing data access to social media data and rendering problematic content, including mis- and disinformation, increasingly more inscrutable and unobservable. The chapter concludes with a set of lessons learned from studying disinformation during the Brexit campaign.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of Figures and Tables iv
- About the Author vi
- Acknowledgements vii
- Introduction 1
- Fifty Million Brexit Tweets 7
-
The Great Upset
- Political Realignment 27
- Nationalism and Populism 34
-
Bots Talking to Bots
- Polarization 49
- Bots and Trolls 69
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Troll Farms Offshore
- Information Warfare 91
- Social Media Manipulation 104
-
Politics Erased
- The Politics of Deletion 117
- Accountability of Social Platforms 136
- Conclusion 148
- References 160
- Index 183
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of Figures and Tables iv
- About the Author vi
- Acknowledgements vii
- Introduction 1
- Fifty Million Brexit Tweets 7
-
The Great Upset
- Political Realignment 27
- Nationalism and Populism 34
-
Bots Talking to Bots
- Polarization 49
- Bots and Trolls 69
-
Troll Farms Offshore
- Information Warfare 91
- Social Media Manipulation 104
-
Politics Erased
- The Politics of Deletion 117
- Accountability of Social Platforms 136
- Conclusion 148
- References 160
- Index 183
