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Foreign Operations Use Social Media Tactics to Shape Your Perspectives

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How foreign operations are manipulating social media to influence your views

Foreign influence campaigns are becoming increasingly prevalent as the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches. These operations seek to manipulate public opinion, disseminate false narratives, and alter behaviors across a targeted populace. Countries like Russia, China, Iran, and others are leveraging social media bots, influencers, and generative AI to execute these strategies.

Researchers at the Indiana University Observatory on Social Media are actively studying these influence campaigns. They have developed sophisticated algorithms designed to detect and counteract inauthentic coordinated behavior online. By observing indicators such as synchronized posting, account clustering, and coordinated sharing of content, these experts have identified patterns in how these campaigns operate.

Their investigations have revealed alarming instances of coordinated inauthentic behavior. Some accounts flood platforms with thousands of posts within a single day. Organizers can have one account post a message, while others quickly “like” or “unlike” it to create the illusion of popularity. Such tactics enable foreign agents to manipulate social media algorithms, influencing what content users are exposed to.

The manipulation extends beyond traditional approaches; generative AI is now being used to create vast networks of fake accounts. An analysis of 1,420 accounts on X, previously known as Twitter, found that AI-generated profile pictures were common. These accounts primarily engaged in spreading scams and amplifying orchestrated messages.

Current estimates suggest that over 10,000 of these accounts are active daily, particularly after significant cuts to the platform’s trust and safety teams under Elon Musk. Researchers have also uncovered networks of bots utilizing ChatGPT to generate humanlike content, further complicating detection efforts.

The impact of these influence operations remains difficult to gauge, as ethical considerations limit data collection and experimentation. Nonetheless, understanding society’s vulnerabilities to various manipulation techniques is crucial. A novel model, SimSoM, has been introduced to simulate how information circulates on social media platforms, including metrics for user engagement and content quality.

This model allows researchers to assess the effects of malicious agents who aim to spread disinformation and other harmful messages. SimSoM has shown that infiltration tactics, where fake accounts create authentic interactions, significantly degrade the overall quality of information users encounter. When combined with content flooding strategies, the quality can drop even further.

These methods of operation have been observed in real-world scenarios, raising concerns about the efficacy of generative AI in creating convincing accounts. The ability to interact constantly and proliferate deceitful content poses significant risks to social media users.

In light of these findings, experts advocate for enhanced content moderation by social media platforms. This can include measures to complicate the creation of fake accounts and to require validation of account authenticity when posting at high frequencies. Furthermore, educating users on recognizing deceptive content and encouraging the spread of verified information would also be beneficial.

Regulatory frameworks should address AI content dissemination on social media rather than its generation, thereby protecting users from exposure to unverified information. Platforms could require content creators to verify accuracy before widespread dissemination. Such moderation practices aim to safeguard free speech, clarifying that the right to express opinions does not equate to the right to undue exposure.