Abstract
CLSB refers to a specific coordinated activity performed by a network of Facebook pages, groups, and verified public profiles (Facebook public entities) that repeatedly share the same news articles in a very short time frame.
To identify such networks, we designed, implemented, and tested an algorithm that detects sets of Facebook public entities that perform CLSB by (1) estimating a time threshold that identifies URL shares performed by multiple distinguished entities within an unusually short period of time compared to the entire dataset, and (2) grouping the entities that repeatedly share the same news story within this coordination interval. The rationale is that while it may be common for several entities to share the same URLs, it is unlikely, unless a consistent coordination exists, that this occurs within the time threshold and repeatedly.
To identify such networks, we designed, implemented, and tested an algorithm that detects sets of Facebook public entities that perform CLSB by (1) estimating a time threshold that identifies URL shares performed by multiple distinguished entities within an unusually short period of time compared to the entire dataset, and (2) grouping the entities that repeatedly share the same news story within this coordination interval. The rationale is that while it may be common for several entities to share the same URLs, it is unlikely, unless a consistent coordination exists, that this occurs within the time threshold and repeatedly.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication date | 2023 |
| Media of output | Online |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Keywords
- CLSB detection
- Facebook public entities
- URL sharing
- Coordination interval
- Algorithm implementation