False Information, Bots and Malicious Campaigns: Demystifying Elements
  of Social Media Manipulations
Mohammad Majid Akhtar Rahat Masood Muhammad Ikram Salil S. Kanhere
The rapid spread of false information and persistent manipulation attacks on
online social networks (OSNs), often for political, ideological, or financial
gain, has affected the openness of OSNs. While researchers from various
disciplines have investigated different manipulation-triggering elements of
OSNs (such as understanding information diffusion on OSNs or detecting
automated behavior of accounts), these works have not been consolidated to
present a comprehensive overview of the interconnections among these elements.
Notably, user psychology, the prevalence of bots, and their tactics in relation
to false information detection have been overlooked in previous research. To
address this research gap, this paper synthesizes insights from various
disciplines to provide a comprehensive analysis of the manipulation landscape.
By integrating the primary elements of social media manipulation (SMM),
including false information, bots, and malicious campaigns, we extensively
examine each SMM element. Through a systematic investigation of prior research,
we identify commonalities, highlight existing gaps, and extract valuable
insights in the field. Our findings underscore the urgent need for
interdisciplinary research to effectively combat social media manipulations,
and our systematization can guide future research efforts and assist OSN
providers in ensuring the safety and integrity of their platforms.