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A Model and Method for Detecting Information Campaigns

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Abstract

This paper investigates the possibility of automatic detection of information campaigns in the absence of a priori knowledge about the fact of their running, their goals, affected objects, and target audience. We propose a general model of information campaigns and also highlight some features of hidden information campaigns. The model is suitable for describing information campaigns both in social media and in traditional media, including those outside of the Internet. A method for detecting information campaigns, which allows the problem to be solved in automatic mode, is proposed.

To confirm the efficiency of the method, an experimental study was carried out on data collected from social media. We invited some experts in related fields to label text messages and create a test corpus. To analyze the complexity of the problem, we measured the degree of cross-expert agreement. Results of the analysis confirmed the initial hypothesis that, even for professionals, the detection of hidden information campaigns is not a trivial task. Nevertheless, using the voting method, we built a test collection to study particular information campaign features, as well as compared the proposed method with individual answers provided by the experts. Result of the experiments confirmed a high potential of the proposed approach to the problem of automatic detection of information campaigns.

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Notes

  1. https://vk.com.

  2. https://www.livejournal.com.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ivannikov Institute for System Programming, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Solzhenitsyna 25, 109004, Moscow, Russia

    D. Yu. Turdakov, I. S. Kozlov, A. V. Laguta & M. I. Varlamov

  2. Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia

    D. Yu. Turdakov

  3. National Research University Higher School of Economics, ul. Myasnitskaya 20, 101000, Moscow, Russia

    S. V. Garbuk

  4. Advanced Research Foundation, Berezhkovskaya nab. 22/3, 121059, Moscow, Russia

    P. V. Khenkin

Authors
  1. D. Yu. Turdakov
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  2. S. V. Garbuk
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  3. P. V. Khenkin
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  4. I. S. Kozlov
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  5. A. V. Laguta
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  6. M. I. Varlamov
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to D. Yu. Turdakov, S. V. Garbuk, P. V. Khenkin, I. S. Kozlov, A. V. Laguta or M. I. Varlamov.

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Translated by Yu. Kornienko

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Turdakov, D.Y., Garbuk, S.V., Khenkin, P.V. et al. A Model and Method for Detecting Information Campaigns. Program Comput Soft 47, 261–270 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1134/S036176882104006X

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S036176882104006X