Suspended accounts align with the Internet Research Agency misinformation campaign to influence the 2016 US election

TL;DR

This study reveals a large group of suspended Twitter accounts, far exceeding IRA accounts, that aligned ideologically with IRA's 2016 election campaign and influenced undecided voters, highlighting complex online influence operations.

Contribution

It uncovers a substantial, previously underrecognized group of suspended accounts aligned with IRA, demonstrating their influence on voter opinion using Granger causality analysis.

Findings

Suspended accounts outnumber IRA accounts by 60 times.

Suspended accounts significantly influenced undecided voters.

Alignment with IRA ideology was confirmed through analysis.

Abstract

The ongoing debate surrounding the impact of the Internet Research Agency s (IRA) social media campaign during the 2016 U.S. presidential election has largely overshadowed the involvement of other actors. Our analysis brings to light a substantial group of suspended Twitter users, outnumbering the IRA user group by a factor of 60, who align with the ideologies of the IRA campaign. Our study demonstrates that this group of suspended Twitter accounts significantly influenced individuals categorized as undecided or weak supporters, potentially with the aim of swaying their opinions, as indicated by Granger causality.