Counter-Radicalization Bot Research Using Social Bots to Fight Violent Extremism
Abstract
Given the success violent extremist groups have had online recruiting, funding, and messagingthe U.S. government (USG) has an interest in effective, agile, and scalable online responses. This report examines the applicability of automated social media (SM) accounts, known as bots, to address this problem. While this report was primarily directed at countering groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant(ISIL), the findings are also applicable to the growing threat of adversary state-sponsored SM information operations. Readers will find an overview of bot technology, a discussion of legal and ethical considerations around bot deployment, a framework for assessing risk/reward in bot operations, and recommendations for the USG in developing and deploying such bot programs. The research reported here was completed in August 2018 and underwent security review with the sponsor and the Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review before public release.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1111251
Entities
People
- Anne Stickells
- Benjamin Boudreaux
- Edward Geist
- Madeline Magnuson
- Todd C. Helmus
- William M. Marcellino
- Zev Winkelman
Organizations
- RAND Corporation