'FRAUDAR' Recognizes and Weeds Out Fake Social Media Accounts
Joey Haar — September 13, 2016 — Social Media
References: cs.cmu.edu & digitaltrends
The FRAUDAR algorithm is a project from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science that recognizes fake Twitter accounts better than Twitter's own systems.
Fake accounts and bots on social media are not only annoying for users, but they can be used to artificially extend the reach of some dishonest users who take advantage of them for popularity. For instance, a politician might purchase bot followers before a campaign to boost their voice on the site. FRAUDAR is able to detect these bots and report them to Twitter, making the social media site a more authentic online platform.
FRAUDAR roots out bots by identifying "bipartite groups," or groups of social media agents that interact with a second group but don't interact with one another. This behavior is a telltale sign of a fake social media account.
Fake accounts and bots on social media are not only annoying for users, but they can be used to artificially extend the reach of some dishonest users who take advantage of them for popularity. For instance, a politician might purchase bot followers before a campaign to boost their voice on the site. FRAUDAR is able to detect these bots and report them to Twitter, making the social media site a more authentic online platform.
FRAUDAR roots out bots by identifying "bipartite groups," or groups of social media agents that interact with a second group but don't interact with one another. This behavior is a telltale sign of a fake social media account.
Trend Themes
1. Fake Account Detection - Opportunity for businesses to develop advanced algorithms to detect and eliminate fake accounts on social media platforms.
2. Bot Recognition - Potential for businesses to create innovative solutions to identify and report bot accounts on social media networks.
3. Authentic Online Platforms - Disruptive innovation opportunity to build trustworthy and genuine online platforms by eliminating fake accounts and bots.
Industry Implications
1. Social Media - Developing new tools and technologies to enhance the authenticity and reliability of social media platforms.
2. Artificial Intelligence - Creating advanced AI algorithms to effectively identify and track fraudulent activities on social media networks.
3. Data Analytics - Utilizing sophisticated data analysis techniques to detect and prevent the proliferation of fake accounts and bots.
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