Morning Wire Threat of Social Media Warfare | Sunday Extra
Nov 19, 2023
Rafi Mendelsohn, Vice President at Syabra and a social threat intelligence expert, dives deep into the world of fake social media accounts and the spread of disinformation. He discusses the surge in misleading narratives following the October 7th Hamas attacks, highlighting tactics used to target vulnerable audiences. Mendelsohn offers strategies to identify inauthentic behavior online and emphasizes the urgent need for collective action against disinformation that can dramatically influence public perception during conflicts.
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State-Sponsored Bots
- Governments or state-sponsored actors may be behind sophisticated bot activity.
- Rafi Mendelsohn's company uncovered 40,000 pro-Hamas accounts, some dormant for over a year.
Fake Accounts Pervasive Online
- One in four conversations about the conflict were driven by fake accounts in the initial days.
- All major social media platforms, including TikTok, X, Facebook, and Instagram, are affected.
Spotting Inauthentic Behavior
- Examine profile creation dates and posting frequency for suspicious behavior.
- Critically assess content, especially emotive images or videos, and verify account authenticity.