Disinformation Echo-Chambers on Facebook

TL;DR

This paper investigates how coordinated disinformation campaigns create echo chambers on Facebook, exposing users to repeated false narratives and undermining democratic discourse through a novel computational detection method.

Contribution

It introduces a computational approach to identify coordinated inauthentic behavior and disinformation echo chambers on Facebook, analyzing posts, URLs, and images.

Findings

Certain Facebook groups engage in orchestrated content sharing.

Identified groups form disinformation echo chambers.

The method reveals coordinated campaigns and their impact.

Abstract

The landscape of information has experienced significant transformations with the rapid expansion of the internet and the emergence of online social networks. Initially, there was optimism that these platforms would encourage a culture of active participation and diverse communication. However, recent events have brought to light the negative effects of social media platforms, leading to the creation of echo chambers, where users are exposed only to content that aligns with their existing beliefs. Furthermore, malicious individuals exploit these platforms to deceive people and undermine democratic processes. To gain a deeper understanding of these phenomena, this chapter introduces a computational method designed to identify coordinated inauthentic behavior within Facebook groups. The method focuses on analyzing posts, URLs, and images, revealing that certain Facebook groups engage in orchestrated campaigns. These groups simultaneously share identical content, which may expose users to repeated encounters with false or misleading narratives, effectively forming "disinformation echo chambers." This chapter concludes by discussing the theoretical and empirical implications of these findings.