Social-cyber maneuvers - How to manipulate public opinion and shape political, cultural, and societal landscapes

I am reading Renee DiResta’s "Invisible Rulers - The People Who Turn Lies into Reality," a recent book that offers a “brilliant and original analysis” of the radical shift in power and influence dynamics by uncovering how the mechanisms behind the “Big Lie” are used to create tailored (“bespoke”) realities that are transforming our politics, culture, and society.

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It is a compelling investigation that explores how power and influence have been fundamentally reshaped by a virtual rumor mill of niche propagandists who increasingly dictate public opinion. These propagandists, while presenting themselves as credible underdogs, wield the reach, influence, and resources typical of dominant forces—becoming invisible rulers who craft personalized realities that reshape political, cultural, and societal landscapes. Their strategy is guided by a straightforward principle: "if you make it trend, you make it true."

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By exposing the mechanisms and dynamics of how influencers, algorithms, and online crowds interact, DiResta vividly demonstrates how propagandists intentionally erode trust in the core legitimacy of societal institutions. This alternative system of shaping public opinion, previously unexamined, is profoundly altering the relationship between citizens and their government. Its impact is alarmingly powerful, often overriding scientific evidence, undermining democratic principles, and embarrassing leaders. However, leaders are not without recourse.

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With deep insights into the power of propagandists to mobilize online crowds without bearing responsibility for the outcomes, "Invisible Rulers" not only forecasts these consequences but also offers strategies for leaders to swiftly adapt and counteract them.

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You HAVE TO READ this book!

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Searching further on some of the keywords (influence operations, social-cyber maneuver, BEND framework, CUES, social network analysis, etc.) I started looking into this relevant tool, called the BEND [1] framework.

The abbreviation representing the four key types of objectives used in social-cyber maneuvers, BEND is increasingly recognized as a critical tool in analyzing and countering online influence operations and the manipulation tactics used in social-cyber maneuvers. Such operations leverage social media to manipulate public opinion and shape political, cultural, and societal landscapes.

Developed through years of research by Kathleen M. Carley [4] and her colleagues, this framework identifies and categorizes the tactics used in online influence campaigns, which often involve the coordinated efforts of bots, trolls, and human influencers to manipulate both the narrative (what is being discussed) and the community (who is communicating with whom).

?The BEND framework categorizes these tactics into 16 (social-cyber) maneuvers, divided into narrative and network strategies, that influence public opinion and manipulate social networks, such as X (Twitter), FB, etc.

The narrative maneuvers include actions like "Engage," "Distort," "Excite," and "Dismay," while network maneuvers include tactics like "Build," "Neutralize," "Bridge," and "Neglect"[2]

?The framework has been widely applied to study various online influence operations, in various contexts, including analyzing disinformation campaigns on social media platforms, that demonstrated its broad applicability and effectiveness.

BEND has been used to understand the spread of disinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic and significant geopolitical events, such as election campaigns, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, or Israel events. It highlights how bots and trolls manipulate narratives and build or dismantle communities to achieve broader influence objectives [3] ?

?The BEND framework is part of the broader field of social cybersecurity, which combines network analysis, machine learning, and natural language processing to detect and counter disinformation and influence campaigns. This approach helps in understanding the dynamics of digital propaganda and how these tactics undermine trust in democratic institutions and social cohesion

?Tools associated with the BEND framework, like ORA-PRO, have been developed to operationalize these insights, enabling the detection and analysis of these social-cyber maneuvers in real-time. This has proven particularly valuable for understanding and countering complex disinformation campaigns, as seen in studies related to global events such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the spread of COVID-19 disinformation.

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For a deeper dive into how the BEND framework is applied and its impact, you can explore further through resources like Carnegie Mellon's research publications (Center for Computational Analysis of Social and Organizational Systems -CASOS), Springer Nature, a world leading research, educational and professional publisher and podcasts discussing social cybersecurity (some links below)

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1.??????? An abbreviation, representing four key types of objectives used in social-cyber maneuvers: Bend, Excite, Nudge, and Distort – BEND is a framework designed to categorize and analyze different strategies employed in online influence campaigns, specifically focusing on how these maneuvers manipulate both the narrative (the content being discussed) and the social networks (who is communicating with whom).

·??????? Bend: Refers to altering the structure of social networks or communication patterns to favor certain actors or messages.

·??????? Excite: Involves creating and amplifying emotionally charged content to provoke strong reactions and engagement.

·??????? Nudge: Subtly influencing behavior or opinions by providing cues that guide people towards certain attitudes or actions.

·??????? Distort: Deliberately spreading false or misleading information to confuse or mislead audiences.

2.??????? Social cybersecurity: an emerging science, 16 November 2020 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10588-020-09322-9

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3.??????? Analyzing digital propaganda and conflict rhetoric: a study on Russia’s bot-driven campaigns and counter-narratives during the Ukraine crisis, 23 August 2024 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13278-024-01322-w

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4.??????? Carley on Social Cybersecurity and the BEND Framework https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-57/

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5.??????? Simulating Social-Cyber Maneuvers to Deter Disinformation Campaigns - Conference paper, 04 July 2021 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-80387-2_15

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6.??????? Social-Cyber Maneuvers for Analyzing Online Influence Operations, by Janice T. Blane, Carnegie Mellon University https://reports-archive.adm.cs.cmu.edu/anon/s3d2023/CMU-S3D-23-102.pdf

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