Title: Computational propaganda on social media where 404 Not Found: how Chinese political astroturf flooding on Twitter
Abstract:Astroturf, or the simulation of grass-roots consensus, is a common component of political propaganda on social media. Previous research of Chinese propaganda has found a complex system of astroturf be...Astroturf, or the simulation of grass-roots consensus, is a common component of political propaganda on social media. Previous research of Chinese propaganda has found a complex system of astroturf behind the Great Firewall, but we know little about the corresponding strategies overseas. Here we use machine learning to identify over 18,000 Chinese astroturf accounts, both human- and bot-run, that spread pro-state political propaganda on Twitter from 2017 to 2018. In contrast to internal propaganda, these astroturf accounts focus on internally-censored topics and are preoccupied with the character assassination of critics. Despite the resources spent on the task, the group is remarkably ineffective: content reaches very few people and cannot intimidate ordinary users. This study describes the novel practices of Chinese computational propaganda and demonstrates the setbacks that authoritarian propaganda suffered when entering a new and open digital sphere.Read More