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Automating Terror : The Role and Impact of Telegram Bots in the Islamic State’s Online Ecosystem
Title / Series / Name
Publication Volume
Publication Issue
Pages
Editors
Keywords
Terrorist bots
bot communities
online extremism
Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
Sociology and Political Science
Safety Research
Political Science and International Relations
SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
bot communities
online extremism
Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
Sociology and Political Science
Safety Research
Political Science and International Relations
SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14018/26978
Abstract
In this article, we use network science to explore the topology of the Islamic State’s “terrorist bot” network on the online social media platform Telegram, empirically identifying its connections to the Islamic State supporter-run groups and channels that operate across the platform, with which these bots form bipartite structures. As part of this, we examine the diverse activities of the bots to determine the extent to which they operate in synchrony with one another as well as explore their impacts. We show that these bots are mainly clustered around two communities of Islamic State supporters, or “munasirun,” with one community focusing on facilitating discussion and exchange, and the other one augmenting content distribution efforts. Operating as such, this network of bots is used to lubricate and augment the Islamic State’s influence activities, including facilitating content amplification and community cultivation efforts, and connecting people with the movement based on common behaviors, shared interests, and/or ideological proximity while minimizing risk for the broader organization.
Topic
Publisher
Place of Publication
Type
Journal article
Date
2024
Language
ISBN
Identifiers
10.1080/09546553.2023.2169141