Influence Operations in Social Networks

TL;DR

This paper analyzes influence operations in social networks by identifying seven key strategies, quantifying their usage across 80 incidents, and proposing future research directions to better understand and counteract online manipulation.

Contribution

It introduces a framework of seven influence strategies and provides empirical analysis of their application in real-world social media interference incidents.

Findings

Seven influence strategies identified and conceptualized.

Quantitative analysis of 80 influence operation incidents.

Insights into the combination and prevalence of strategies.

Abstract

An important part of online activities are intended to control the public opinion and behavior, being considered currently a global threat. This article identifies and conceptualizes seven online strategies employed in social media influence operations. These procedures are quantified through the analysis of 80 incidents of foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), estimating their real-world usage and combination. Finally, we suggest future directions for research on influence operations.