Social Media Algorithms: An Analysis of the Roles of Bots in the Context of Information Manipulation and the Implications for Saudi Twitter Users

Abstract

Information manipulation and other sorts of manipulative communications have become an issue in social media. Users in Saudi Arabia are exposed to such attempts through the use of the algorithmic power embodied in Twitter. It is well established that information on social networks is subject to violations that affect the free flow of information and its reliability, methods of presentation and consumption. This study aims to investigate the common types of algorithms used on Twitter and determine their effects on the context of the information and its reflection in the Saudi audience. To test the hypothesis that algorithms affect users in the Twitter environment, a mixed-methods content analysis is used along with a set of advanced tools and software that track algorithmic activities and a sample analysis of two hashtags trending on Saudi Twitter. The results show widespread use of algorithms by bots that lead campaigns to flood suspicious content through hashtags that impede understanding of the context of the topics, fogging and distracting users. It is also suggested that digital promotional content is one likely method of deceiving users by distracting them from the main issue raised in the folds of the hashtag and that bots play a central role in amplifying the content and raising the hashtag into a trending status.