Weaponization of Social Media

Introduction – 2 Pages (Include a recent news event related to the topic)

Literature Review – 8 Pages (25 Sources)

Theory and Hypothesis – 2 Pages

Data and Methods – 2 Pages

Findings – 4 Pages

Conclusion – 2 Pages

The purpose is to attempt to demonstrate HOW social media impacts democracy, both in a positive way and a negative way, but mostly negatively. For the positive aspect, I would like to discuss its contribution to mobilization and usage for mass communication during the Arab Spring (Egypt), but also how is being used to mislead the public during the recent BLM movement (Black Lives Matter vs. Blue Lives Matter). For the negative, I would like to touch how it was weaponize in Myanmar (cultural genocide), Voter suppression in Trinidad and Tobago (Do So! Movement), How it impact Brazilian elections (fake news through WhatsApp), and how it affected the 2016 elections (project alamo) putting emphasis on Cambridge Analytica and the persuadables and lastly how it has been used to destabilize democracies.

Below are some notes

The Great Hack: (Notes)

• How does the dream of a connected world tear us apart?
• Misuse of data and information (propaganda)
• Project Alamo (2016 Trump campaign)
  • 1m a day on Facebook AD
  • Cambridge Analytica, SCL Elections
    • Steve Banon (Vice President of Cambridge Analytica, Trump Campaign Chief Executive)
    • Christophe Wylie
    • Brittany Kaiser
    • Alexander Nix
    • 5000 Data points on every American voter
    • Obama Campaign (Also utilize social media)
    • Ted Cruz Campaign
    • Brexit Campaign to Exit European Union
    • Breitbar Doctrine (Culture War)
    • Playing with the psychology of an entire nation during a democratic process.
    • Data surpassed oil in value
    • Monetization of users’ personal data
    • Facebook surveys
      • The persuadables

Ads that target them to change their minds.

Behavioral Psychology + Big Data + Targeted Engagement = Behavioral change

• Internet seach and democracy (google)

Cases:

Trinidad and Tobago: Do So! Movement

Brazil election (WhatsApp) fake news.

Myanmar (Facebook) utilized to promote racial hatred, resulted in genocide.

Russia (Black Lives Matter) protest organized by Russian Government. Blue Lives Matter to create conflict. Turn the country against itself divide and conquer

• Weapons-grade communications techniques

Psychological operations

• SCL defense on how to prevent terrorism

Fear and Anger: created tools to exploit that emotional audience utilizing individual level targeting.