Beyond Detection: Disinformation and the Amplification of Toxic Content in the Age of Social Media

A special issue of Information (ISSN 2078-2489). This special issue belongs to the section "Information and Communications Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2024) | Viewed by 12480

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Center for Research on the English speaking World, Sorbonne Nouvelle University, 75012 Paris, France
Interests: internet governance; uses of NICTs; online disinformation; media and information literacy

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Guest Editor
Center for Social Analysis and Mathematics (CAMS), École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales & Complex Systems Institute of Paris IdF, CNRS, 75006 Paris, France
Interests: computational social sciences; cognitive sciences; complex systems sciences

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The MDPI journal Information is seeking submissions for a Special Issue on “Beyond Detection: Disinformation and the Amplification of Toxic Content in the Age of Social Media”.

The rise of disinformation and the amplification of toxic content (hate speech, polarization, harassment, etc.) on social media initially created a momentum for fighting such information disorders, with fact-checkers and debunkers in the frontline. Since then, the focus has shifted to re-inventing digital spaces to be immune to toxic content, with alternative tools, protocols and structures being developed (using blockchain, OSINT, etc.). The role of social media has also undergone much scrutiny, with the interest in social media analysis moving beyond Social Network Analysis (SNA) to include innovative methodologies to trace and monitor amplification phenomena, including via alternative social media. Such methods and tools are solutions aimed at fostering sound digital spaces that are safe from information disorders and opinion manipulation, intent on avoiding the amplification of toxic content.

This Special Issue aims to present the latest advances concerning social media analysis in the context of disinformation detection, platform design, and the mitigation of toxic content amplification. Articles using theoretical perspectives on the properties required for a digital environment to maintain sound information spaces are welcome, as are articles with innovative suggestions to reduce toxic content. Special attention will be paid to critical analyses that consider the dysfunctional organization of early social media platforms and open vistas on the design and implementation of information–sound spaces, their structures, and the actors that promote them. 

Topics of interest may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Social media and opinion mining;
  • Opinion dynamics;
  • Fake news amplification, detection, and fact-checking solutions;
  • Innovative tools, protocols and techniques for detecting online disinformation;
  • The design of sound information systems and how they are proffered to users;
  • Embedded algorithmic bias and toxic content;
  • Shaping/reshaping sound information spaces;
  • The impacts of recommender systems (including AI systems) on digital spaces and social groups;
  • Alternative social media infrastructure designs.

Prof. Dr. Divina Frau-Meigs
Dr. David Chavalarias
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Information is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • social media analysis
  • disinformation
  • fake news
  • amplification
  • fact-checking
  • toxic content
  • dis-amplification
  • detection tools and strategies

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

38 pages, 7805 KiB  
Article
Navigating the Disinformation Maze: A Bibliometric Analysis of Scholarly Efforts
by George-Cristian Tătaru, Adrian Domenteanu, Camelia Delcea, Margareta Stela Florescu, Mihai Orzan and Liviu-Adrian Cotfas
Information 2024, 15(12), 742; https://doi.org/10.3390/info15120742 - 21 Nov 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5213
Abstract
The increasing prevalence of disinformation has become a global challenge, exacerbated by the rapid dissemination of information in online environments. The present study conducts a bibliometric analysis of scholarly efforts made over time in the research papers associated with the disinformation field. Thus, [...] Read more.
The increasing prevalence of disinformation has become a global challenge, exacerbated by the rapid dissemination of information in online environments. The present study conducts a bibliometric analysis of scholarly efforts made over time in the research papers associated with the disinformation field. Thus, this paper aims to understand and help combat disinformation by focusing on methodologies, datasets, and key metadata. Through a bibliometric approach, the study identifies leading authors, affiliations, and journals and examines collaboration networks in the field of disinformation. This analysis highlights the significant growth in research on disinformation, particularly in response to events such as the 2016 U.S. election, Brexit, and the COVID-19 pandemic, with an overall growth rate of 15.14% in the entire analyzed period. The results of the analysis underscore the role of social media and artificial intelligence in the spread of disinformation, as well as the importance of fact-checking technologies. Findings reveal that the most prolific contributions come from universities in the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), Spain, and other global institutions, with a notable increase in publications since 2018. Through thematic maps, a keyword analysis, and collaboration networks, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the evolving field of disinformation research, offering valuable insights for future investigations and policy development. Full article
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31 pages, 12305 KiB  
Article
Living in the Age of Deepfakes: A Bibliometric Exploration of Trends, Challenges, and Detection Approaches
by Adrian Domenteanu, George-Cristian Tătaru, Liliana Crăciun, Anca-Gabriela Molănescu, Liviu-Adrian Cotfas and Camelia Delcea
Information 2024, 15(9), 525; https://doi.org/10.3390/info15090525 - 28 Aug 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6111
Abstract
In an era where all information can be reached with one click and by using the internet, the risk has increased in a significant manner. Deepfakes are one of the main threats on the internet, and affect society by influencing and altering information, [...] Read more.
In an era where all information can be reached with one click and by using the internet, the risk has increased in a significant manner. Deepfakes are one of the main threats on the internet, and affect society by influencing and altering information, decisions, and actions. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has simplified the creation of deepfakes, allowing even novice users to generate false information in order to create propaganda. One of the most prevalent methods of falsification involves images, as they constitute the most impactful element with which a reader engages. The second most common method pertains to videos, which viewers often interact with. Two major events led to an increase in the number of deepfake images on the internet, namely the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine conflict. Together with the ongoing “revolution” in AI, deepfake information has expanded at the fastest rate, impacting each of us. In order to reduce the risk of misinformation, users must be aware of the deepfake phenomenon they are exposed to. This also means encouraging users to more thoroughly consider the sources from which they obtain information, leading to a culture of caution regarding any new information they receive. The purpose of the analysis is to extract the most relevant articles related to the deepfake domain. Using specific keywords, a database was extracted from Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science Core Collection. Given the significant annual growth rate of 161.38% and the relatively brief period between 2018 and 2023, the research community demonstrated keen interest in the issue of deepfakes, positioning it as one of the most forward-looking subjects in technology. This analysis aims to identify key authors, examine collaborative efforts among them, explore the primary topics under scrutiny, and highlight major keywords, bigrams, or trigrams utilized. Additionally, this document outlines potential strategies to combat the proliferation of deepfakes in order to preserve information trust. Full article
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