The Role of Social Media Superspreaders in Online Information Warfare

Abstract

In recent years, extensive research has been conducted on the role of large social media accounts in the spread of disinformation. Initial studies on this subject were carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic. One such study found that 73% of all mis- and disinformation could be traced back to a so-called "Dirty Dozen" referring to 12 influential accounts with large followings. A similar trend appears in the realm of geopolitics, a domain where disinformation and propaganda were primarily disseminated in the past through official and embassy accounts but are now "outsourced" to individual accounts. This study focuses on identifying potential superspreader accounts that have shared pro-Kremlin messages following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In addition to identifying these accounts, the research will also categorize the most successful false narratives during this period in terms of their spread and popularity".