DOCSLIB.ORG

Multi-Platform Information Operations

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Multi-Platform Information Operations Understanding the Structure and Dynamics of Multi-platform Information Operations Tom Wilson A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2021 Reading Committee: Kate Starbird (Chair) David Ribes Emma S. Spiro Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Human Centered Design and Engineering ©Copyright 2021 Tom Wilson 2 University of Washington Abstract Understanding the Structure and Dynamics of Multi-platform Information Operations Tom Wilson Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Associate Professor Kate Starbird Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering Information operations—efforts to distort the information ecosystem through methods such as the dissemination of disinformation in efforts to influence opinions or actions of individuals, governments or publics—are long-established methods of intelligence agencies and the military. However, the advent of social media has led to an era of renewed opportunity: the features and affordances of social media platforms, such as the interconnected social networks, abundance of user data, ability for any user to produce and disseminate content, and algorithm-driven feeds means that they are easier to deploy, and to deploy at scale. Disinformation (and information operations as the process of disinforming) disrupt decision-making, erode trust in institutions such as the media and government, and cumulatively undermine democratic 3 processes. Recent conceptualizations of information operations as they occur on social media, such as the Russian Internet Research Agency’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 US Presidential Election, focus on the explicit coordination of inauthentic accounts. However, in this dissertation I will demonstrate that information operations are more complex—the distinction between the explicitly coordinated and organic aspects are blurred and the activities far more nuanced. Furthermore, despite increasing awareness and recent research there remain gaps in our understanding, including how strategic information operations and disinformation campaigns leverage the wider information ecosystem, taking shape on and across multiple websites and social media platforms. From a perspective of human-computer interaction (HCI), and in particular computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW), this dissertation aims to contribute to this body of research by presenting four distinct but related studies that collectively build a comprehensive understanding of the structure and dynamics of multi-platform online information operations, including the integration of government- controlled and alternative media, the roles of different social media platforms (i.e. how they are used in complementary ways), and the online collaborative ‘work’ that brings these aspects together and sustains the information operation over time. Across the studies I adopt a mixed methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative research techniques to ask questions of digital trace data (evidence of online user activities and interactions) collected from Twitter. I systematically examine both the online conversation on Twitter plus the wider ecosystem of news-publishing websites and social media platforms linked-to in tweets. The broad contribution of this work is the revelation and exploration of online information operations, specifically how information operations take shape on and across multiple websites and social media platforms, and the collaborative ‘work’ required to sustain them. Theoretically, based upon the empirical findings presented, I reconceptualize information operations as not solely the product of inauthentic coordinated behavior (orchestrated bots and trolls) but as also involving authentic (as in real, sincerely 4 participating) actors that loosely collaborate in the production, synthesis, and mobilization of disruptive narratives that serve the strategic goals of the information operation. Methodologically, I contribute to a growing body of work in the area of disinformation and online activism that utilizes a mixed-method approach to research. And, based on my examination of a multi-platform information operation, I end with implications for social media platform policy. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................. 6 LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................................... 13 LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND........................................................................................................................................................ 18 AIM OF THIS DISSERTATION ............................................................................................................................ 23 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ...................................................................................................................................... 23 STRUCTURE OF DISSERTATION ...................................................................................................................... 25 INTEGRATION OF PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED WORK ................................................................................ 28 CHAPTER 2: RELATED WORK SOCIAL MEDIA ....................................................................................................................................................... 29 SHIFTING FORMS OF NEWS PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION ........................................................ 31 ONLINE ACTIVISM ................................................................................................................................................ 33 MISLEADING INFORMATION ............................................................................................................................ 34 MISINFORMATION .................................................................................................................................................................... 34 DISINFORMATION..................................................................................................................................................................... 35 INFORMATION OPERATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 36 DISRUPTIVE NARRATIVES .................................................................................................................................................. 39 SUMMARY OF RELATED WORK ....................................................................................................................... 40 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH CONTEXT THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR ..................................................................................................................................... 41 SYRIA CIVIL DEFENCE (THE WHITE HELMETS) ........................................................................................ 42 KEY EVENTS............................................................................................................................................................ 43 CHAPTER 4: DATA & METHODOLOGY 6 TWITTER DATASET OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 45 DATA COLLECTION .................................................................................................................................................................. 46 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................................................... 47 CRISIS INFORMATICS ............................................................................................................................................................... 48 DIGITAL TRACE ETHNOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................................ 50 SUMMARY OF METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................................................ 51 LIMITATIONS OF THIS INVESTIGATION ...................................................................................................... 52 DATA LIMITATIONS ................................................................................................................................................................. 53 METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 54 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF THIS RESEARCH ..................................................................................... 55 CHAPTER 5: INFORMATION OPERATIONS AS COLLABORATIVE WORK AUTHOR PREFACE ............................................................................................................................................... 56 ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................................... 58 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • What's Really Happening in Syria: Who Started
    What’s Really Happening in Syria: Who Started the War, Who Can You Trust to Tell the Truth? A Consumer Fraud Lawyer’s Mini-Primer By Robert Roth Region: Middle East & North Africa Global Research, September 19, 2018 Theme: Media Disinformation, US NATO New Cold War 2 January 2017 War Agenda In-depth Report: SYRIA This article, first published on GR in January 2017, provides an understanding of the history of the war on Syria, from the outset in mid-March 2011. The U.S./NATO line If you try to follow events in the mainstream media (MSM), you may have noticed that they routinely refer to Syrian president Bashar al Assad as a “brutal dictator”. Assad is supposed to have responded to peaceful protests with repressive violence and by “killing his own people”. The U.S., UK, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar continue to maintain that “Assad must go”. I disagree with all of that, as I’ll explain in this article. I spent 25 years prosecuting lies in commerce for the attorneys general of New York and Oregon. I prepared this primer to help you cut through the lies and get at the truth about Syria. Much of this article is a string of excerpts from the excellent work of authors I’ve come to trust and citations or links to sources for further information and analysis. International law, morality, and the sovereignty of the people Since Syria has not threatened the United States in any way, let alone attacked us, our government has no right to try to overthrow the Syrian government.
    [Show full text]
  • Recent Online Resources for the Analysis of Terrorism and Related Subjects Complied and Selected by Berto Jongman
    PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 12, Issue 4 Recent Online Resources for the Analysis of Terrorism and Related Subjects Complied and selected by Berto Jongman Note from the Editor: The amount of new publications, reports, policy papers, lectures, presentations, videos and briefings in the field of terrorism and counter-terrorism can be overwhelming for the untrained researcher as well as for young counterterrorism professionals. In the following, a selection of recent open-source online publications, grouped into a dozen categories, has been made by a seasoned former intelligence analyst. An attempt has been made to select items from a variety of sources and positions, presenting different perspectives. Selection not necessarily means endorsement for a certain position or specific lines of argumentation. The following includes also a number of non- terrorism specific items from the broader spectrum of political violence and armed conflicts reports. Most of the items included below became available online in July and August 2018. They are categorised under these headings: 1. Non-Religious Terrorism: Actors, Groups, Incidents and Campaigns 2. Religious (mainly Jihadi) Terrorism: Actors, Groups, Incidents and Campaigns 3. Terrorist Strategies and Tactics 4. Conflict, Crime and Political Violence other than Terrorism 5. Counter-Terrorism – General 6. Counter-Terrorist Strategies, Tactics and Operations 7. State Repression and Civil War at Home and Clandestine & Open Warfare Abroad 8. Prevention and Preparedness Studies (including Countering Violent Extremism, De-Radicalization, Counter-Narratives) 9. Intelligence 10.Cyber Operations and Information Warfare 11.Risk & Threat Assessments, Forecasts, Analytical Studies 12.Also Worth Reading 1. Non-Religious Terrorism: Actors, Groups, Incidents and Campaigns R.
    [Show full text]
  • Velasco Washington 0250O 16
    Online Video as a Tool for Planning Education and Engagement: A Content Analysis of U.S. City Planning Departments’ YouTube Channels Stephanie J. Velasco A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Urban Planning University of Washington 2016 Committee: Branden Born Christopher Campbell Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Urban Design and Planning © Copyright 2016 Stephanie J. Velasco University of Washington Abstract Online Video as a Tool for Planning Education and Engagement: A Content Analysis of U.S. City Planning Departments’ YouTube Channels Stephanie J. Velasco Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor Branden Born Urban Design and Planning This study explores the potential for city planning departments to more deeply engage citizens in public planning processes by producing and sharing educational videos through such online platforms as YouTube. Many academic and professional fields have already recognized and adopted YouTube as a dynamic medium for education, however planning departments in the United States’ largest cities have yet to fully take advantage of this social media platform. This study uses content analysis to describe and categorize the digital video content published on seven city planning departments’ YouTube channels. In addition, this study illuminates relationships between video popularity—measured in number of views—and video length, production quality, production elements (e.g. voiceover, motion graphics or animation, background music, etc.), the degree of production effort (or cost) required on the part of the content creator, and the presence or absence of an explicit call to action. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction ...............................................................................................................................1 2. Literature Review .....................................................................................................................5 2.1.
    [Show full text]
  • LNCS 8518, Pp
    An Alternative Media Experience: LiveLeak* Fatih Çömlekçi1 and Serhat Güney2 1 Ministry of Culture, State Theater, Mete Cad. No: 26, Beyoğlu, 34420 Istanbul Turkey [email protected] 2 Galatasaray University, Faculty of Communication, Ciragan Cad. No: 36 Ortakoy 34357 Istanbul, Turkey [email protected] Abstract. This research examines a video sharing web site called LiveLeak to be able to analyze the possibilities of democratic and horizontal social mobilization via Internet technology. In this sense, we take into consideration the Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s philosophical conceptualization of “rhizome” which provides a new approach for activities of online communities. In the light of this concept and its anti-hierarchical approach we tried to discuss the potentials of network communication models such as LiveLeak in terms of emancipating use of media and democratic communication. By analyzing the contextual traffic on the LiveLeak for a randomly chosen one week (first week of December 2013) we argue that this video sharing web site shows a rhizomatic characteristic. Keywords: LiveLeak, Rhizome, Social Networking. 1 Introduction Rapid developments in communication technologies and its social reflections, which took place especially in the 20th century, have drawn the attention of social scientists. At one extreme, Frankfurt School and its followers advanced a pessimistic approach to new media targeting specifically manipulation and standardization of the message. On the other hand, an optimistic approach formulated by Marshall McLuhan attributes an emancipating and democratic meaning to new media. Apart from these orthodox Marxist criticism and technologically deterministic liberal aspects, writers such as Bertolt Brecht [1] and Walter Benjamin [2] set forth different approaches that regard the energy and socially transforming effect of the new media, emphasizing the socialist and emancipating mission of massification in the age of mechanical reproduction.
    [Show full text]
  • Challenges of 3D Printing to Repair
    2013] 1147 THE CHALLENGES OF 3D PRINTING TO THE REPAIR-RECONSTRUCTION DOCTRINE IN PATENT LAW Kelsey B. Wilbanks* INTRODUCTION Patent law is no stranger to technological innovation. Just recently, courts have handled the legal uproar over smartphones,1 new forms of bio- technology,2 and more.3 Three-dimensional (“3D”) printing has now emerged,4 and patent law will once again need to adapt. Three-dimensional printing is new technology that allows consumers to manufacture a seemingly endless variety of items in the comfort of their homes. Although innovators have recently used 3D printers to make re- markable creations like functional guns, it is becoming more common for average tinkerers to 3D print replacement parts for broken home objects. * George Mason University School of Law, J.D. Candidate, May 2014; Notes Editor, GEORGE MASON LAW REVIEW, 2013-2014; Missouri State University, B.S., Entertainment Management, De- cember 2010. This Comment received the George Mason Law Review’s 2013 Adrian S. Fisher Award for best student article, and it was featured as a condensed presentation at the “ConFABulation Sympo- sium on 3D Printing in the Classroom” in Largo, Maryland. I would like to first thank my husband Jason for his help in developing this topic. I would also like to thank the organizers of the ConFABula- tion Symposium, John Anderson and Jonathan Monaghan, and its participants for their helpful com- ments. Finally, I would like to thank Professor Adam Mossoff, my friends Josh Cox, Tashina Harris, and Martin Desjardins, my cousin Penny Caudle, my mother Joyce, and the rest of my family for their help in writing and editing this piece.
    [Show full text]
  • The Annual Report of the Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2019
    The Annual Report of the Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2019 A Destroyed State and Displaced People Thursday, January 23, 2020 1 snhr [email protected] www.sn4hr.org R200104 The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), founded in June 2011, is a non-governmental, independent group that is considered a primary source for the OHCHR on all death toll-related analyses in Syria. Contents I. Introduction II. Executive Summary III. Comparison between the Most Notable Patterns of Human Rights Violations in 2018 and 2019 IV. Major Events in 2019 V. Most Prominent Political and Military Events in 2019 VI. Road to Accountability; Failure to Hold the Syrian Regime Accountable Encouraged Countries in the World to Normalize Relationship with It VII. Shifts in Areas of Control in 2019 VIII. Report Details IX. Recommendations X. References I. Introduction The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), founded in June 2011, is a non-govern- mental, non-profit independent organization that primarily aims to document all violations in Syria, and periodically issues studies, research documents, and reports to expose the perpetrators of these violations as a first step to holding them accountable and protecting the rights of the victims. It should be noted that Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has relied, in all of its statistics, on the analysis of victims of the conflict in Syria, on the Syrian Network for Human Rights as a primary source, SNHR also collaborate with the Independent Inter- national Commission of Inquiry and have signed an agreement for sharing data with the Independent International and Impartial Mechanism, UNICEF, and other UN bodies, as well as international organizations such as the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
    [Show full text]
  • The Syrian Civil War: Analysis of Recent Developments by Dr. Sohail
    The Syrian Civil War: Analysis of Recent Developments By Dr. Sohail Mahmood On April 7, 2018 an alleged chemical weapons attack took place in Douma, Syria in which 70 people were killed.1 Russia and the Syrian government denied using chemical weapons fight against rebels in Eastern Ghouta, Syria and its ally Russia deny any chemical attack took place - with Russia calling it a "staged thing”. The rebel Syria Civil Defense Force says more than 40 people were killed and entire families were gassed to death in the attack, which drew global outrage. President Trump blasted "that animal" Syrian President Bashar Assad and said blame also fell on Russia and Iran for supporting his regime. Prime Minister Theresa said there was "unmistakable evidence" Syria was behind the attack. “No other group could have carried this out," May said. A year ago, Syria was accused of using sarin gas in an attack in the town of Khan Shaykhun. An investigation by the U.N. and OPCW concluded the Syrian air force had used the gas in its attack, which killed almost 100.2 Assad’s position in the Syrian civil war is unassailable. He is supported by Iranian-back fighters as well as the Russian air force, has cemented his control over most of the western, more heavily populated, part of the country. Rebels and jihadist insurgents are largely contained to two areas along Syria’s northern and southern borders.3 Syria's war, now in its eighth year, has seen the opposition make gains up until Russia entered the war in support of Assad in 2015.
    [Show full text]
  • Systematic Scoping Review on Social Media Monitoring Methods and Interventions Relating to Vaccine Hesitancy
    TECHNICAL REPORT Systematic scoping review on social media monitoring methods and interventions relating to vaccine hesitancy www.ecdc.europa.eu ECDC TECHNICAL REPORT Systematic scoping review on social media monitoring methods and interventions relating to vaccine hesitancy This report was commissioned by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and coordinated by Kate Olsson with the support of Judit Takács. The scoping review was performed by researchers from the Vaccine Confidence Project, at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (contract number ECD8894). Authors: Emilie Karafillakis, Clarissa Simas, Sam Martin, Sara Dada, Heidi Larson. Acknowledgements ECDC would like to acknowledge contributions to the project from the expert reviewers: Dan Arthus, University College London; Maged N Kamel Boulos, University of the Highlands and Islands, Sandra Alexiu, GP Association Bucharest and Franklin Apfel and Sabrina Cecconi, World Health Communication Associates. ECDC would also like to acknowledge ECDC colleagues who reviewed and contributed to the document: John Kinsman, Andrea Würz and Marybelle Stryk. Suggested citation: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Systematic scoping review on social media monitoring methods and interventions relating to vaccine hesitancy. Stockholm: ECDC; 2020. Stockholm, February 2020 ISBN 978-92-9498-452-4 doi: 10.2900/260624 Catalogue number TQ-04-20-076-EN-N © European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2020 Reproduction is authorised, provided the
    [Show full text]
  • White Helmets Begin Filming Fake Chemical Attack in Syria
    MIDDLE EAST October 31, 2018 7 Glory... Russia: (Continued From Page One) it of some of the spontaneity seen in the Arba’een. For many White Helmets Begin Filming Muslims who cannot afford to go on the hajj or cannot get a Saudi visa, the Karbala visit has become an alternative. Fake Chemical Attack in Syria Arba’een is viewed as an overwhelmingly powerful display of Shia solidarity and conveys a message of unity among Muslims MOSCOW (Press TV) – Russia says agents, he added. against the global arrogance. it has received information showing The group, the official said, sought Cities, towns and villages all over Iraq empty out during a 20-day that a Western-backed so-called aid to stage artillery shellfire with the period as their people take to the roads in an elaborately organized group is preparing to stage a false flag containers and also meant to provoke and well protected mass movement not seen anywhere else in the chemical attack in the northwestern the Syrian military to retaliate. Syrian province of Aleppo to incrimi- The White Helmets group, projected world. nate Damascus. by the West as “civil defense work- The Battle of Karbala resonates strongly with the Muslim faithful The Defense Ministry said the ers,” was founded by former British due to the sacrifices made in order to keep Islam and the tradition “White Helmets,” which according Army officer James Le Mesurier in of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) alive. to Moscow and Damascus cooper- 2014. The self-styled volunteer res- In a Twitter post on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Muhammad ate with terrorist groups in the Arab cue group has been repeatedly ac- Javad Zarif said that the annual pilgrimage bears the message that country, have already started the film- cused of acting as the media arm for ing process for the attack, Russia’s Takfiri groups, and charged with stag- “no tyrant will ever end the struggle for justice”.
    [Show full text]
  • Stable Economic Roadmap Is Answer to Fluctuations
    WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 16 Pages Price 10,000 Rials 39th year No.13158 Monday JULY 16, 2018 Tir 25, 1397 Dhi Al Qaeda 2, 1439 Navy to boost Stock market France win “Yeva”, “Sunset Truck” intelligence superiority index rises 13.7% the 2018 World Cup win awards at Golden in Oman Sea 2 since March 4 15 Apricot filmfest 16 Kharrazi outlines strategies to fight terrorism POLITICS TEHRAN — Kamal Tsinghua University in Beijing. deskKharrazi, head of Iran’s The three strategies are as follows: Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, on Researches on the ideology of Takfiri Sunday set out three strategies to coun- groups by “international think tanks; ter terrorist groups including Daesh, also Exchange of information and coordi- called IS, ISIL or ISIS. nated actions by Iran, Pakistan, China, Kharrazi enumerated the strategies in Russia and Central Asian countries to fight a speech at the 7th World Peace Forum at Daesh in Afghanistan; 2 Certain manipulators of cellphone market arrested POLITICS TEHRAN — Gholam during a press conference. deskHossein Mohseni Ejei, According to a list published recently the Judiciary spokesman, announced by the Telecommunications Minister on Sunday that certain individuals have Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, certain been arrested and a number of companies companies which had received foreign closed down over price violations in the currency at the official rate to import cellphone market. cellphones sold their goods at a high “Documents have been found that show price by taking advantage of the value a number of serious violations have been of dollar and other currencies at the made” in the cellphone market, he said black market.
    [Show full text]
  • Security Council Provisional Seventy-Fourth Year
    United Nations S/ PV.8664 Security Council Provisional Seventy-fourth year 8664th meeting Thursday, 14 November 2019, 3.20 p.m. New York President: Ms. Pierce ..................................... (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) Members: Belgium ....................................... Mr. Pecsteen de Buytswerve China ......................................... Mr. Zhang Jun Côte d’Ivoire ................................... Mr. Ipo Dominican Republic .............................. Mr. Singer Weisinger Equatorial Guinea ............................... Mrs. Mele Colifa France ........................................ Mrs. Gueguen Germany ...................................... Mr. Heusgen Indonesia. Mr. Djani Kuwait ........................................ Mr. Alotaibi Peru .......................................... Mr. Duclos Poland ........................................ Mr. Radomski Russian Federation ............................... Mr. Polyanskiy South Africa ................................... Mr. Van Shalkwyk United States of America .......................... Mrs. Craft Agenda The situation in the Middle East This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the translation of speeches delivered in other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Records of the Security Council. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of
    [Show full text]
  • Aleppo Media Centre’, Funded by French Foreign Office, EU and US
    War Propaganda and the ‘Aleppo Media Centre’, Funded By French Foreign Office, EU and US By Vanessa Beeley Region: Middle East & North Africa Global Research, September 21, 2016 Theme: Media Disinformation, US NATO 21st Century Wire 20 September 2016 War Agenda In-depth Report: SYRIA The headline read: “Little boy pulled alive from the rubble”. The Aleppo Media Centre video and photograph of Omran Daqneesh, aka the ‘Dusty Boy” of Aleppo, allegedly rescued by the notorious White Helmets in terrorist-held East Aleppo, went viral almost immediately, rocketed into the propaganda stratosphere by the western mainstream media. Almost every mainstream media outlet worldwide showcased this video and the now infamous still photograph of “Dusty Boy” Omran. The dusty and bloodied child was placed upon a chair in what seemed to be a pristine condition ambulance, despite being in an alleged war zone, while being photographed by a barrage of cameras and mobile phones. Meanwhile, nobody actually attended to him medically – it was as if this were a staged photo-shoot. Nobody comforted him, dressed his supposed wounds, or put him in neck brace, or even on a stretcher presuming he might have had spinal injuries (standard first aid procedure) having just been rescued from ‘under the rubble’ of a bombed building which AMC claimed was targeted by “Russian and Syrian regime airstrikes.” PROPAGANDA HUB: The Aleppo Media Center supplies US, UK, NATO members states, Qatar’s Al Jazeera and many more, with pro-regime change images, providing PR backing for listed terrorist organizations operating in Syria. This Aleppo Media Centre pulled off a propaganda coup – one that generated calls for aNo- | 1 Fly-Zone and associated western intervention policies all focused on salvaging the US failed road map of “regime change” in Syria.
    [Show full text]