Social Media Information Operations

TL;DR

This paper presents a formal optimization framework for social media influence operations, emphasizing modeling, detection, and countermeasures against misinformation, bots, and influence campaigns in online social networks.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive optimization approach for social media influence operations, integrating data-driven tools and discussing the impact of generative AI on offensive and defensive strategies.

Findings

Framework supports targeted opinion shaping

Tools aid in identifying influential users and communities

AI advances enable scalable influence and defenses

Abstract

The battlefield of information warfare has moved to online social networks, where influence campaigns operate at unprecedented speed and scale. As with any strategic domain, success requires understanding the terrain, modeling adversaries, and executing interventions. This tutorial introduces a formal optimization framework for social media information operations (IO), where the objective is to shape opinions through targeted actions. This framework is parameterized by quantities such as network structure, user opinions, and activity levels - all of which must be estimated or inferred from data. We discuss analytic tools that support this process, including centrality measures for identifying influential users, clustering algorithms for detecting community structure, and sentiment analysis for gauging public opinion. These tools either feed directly into the optimization pipeline or help defense analysts interpret the information environment. With the landscape mapped, we highlight threats such as coordinated bot networks, extremist recruitment, and viral misinformation. Countermeasures range from content-level interventions to mathematically optimized influence strategies. Finally, the emergence of generative AI transforms both offense and defense, democratizing persuasive capabilities while enabling scalable defenses. This shift calls for algorithmic innovation, policy reform, and ethical vigilance to protect the integrity of our digital public sphere.