Social Diffusion Sources Can Escape Detection

TL;DR

This paper investigates how diffusion sources in social networks can evade detection by strategically modifying network links or introducing fake nodes, revealing that link removal is a more effective concealment method.

Contribution

It introduces the first analysis of strategic source concealment in social diffusion, highlighting the effectiveness of link removal over fake node introduction.

Findings

Sources can effectively hide by rewiring links or adding fake nodes.

Removing links is more effective for concealment than fake nodes.

Focusing on exposing hidden ties improves source detection.

Abstract

Influencing (and being influenced by) others through social networks is fundamental to all human societies. Whether this happens through the diffusion of rumors, opinions, or viruses, identifying the diffusion source (i.e., the person that initiated it) is a problem that has attracted much research interest. Nevertheless, existing literature has ignored the possibility that the source might strategically modify the network structure (by rewiring links or introducing fake nodes) to escape detection. Here, without restricting our analysis to any particular diffusion scenario, we close this gap by evaluating two mechanisms that hide the source-one stemming from the source's actions, the other from the network structure itself. This reveals that sources can easily escape detection, and that removing links is far more effective than introducing fake nodes. Thus, efforts should focus on exposing concealed ties rather than planted entities; such exposure would drastically improve our chances of detecting the diffusion source.