Online Manipulation¶
Online manipulation refers to deliberate tactics deployed in digital environments to distort perception, shape opinion, or deceive audiences. It encompasses a broad spectrum of techniques ranging from traditional disinformation campaigns and propaganda to emerging AI-enabled tactics leveraging synthetic media.
Scope¶
Online manipulation includes:
- Content-based tactics: falsified or misleading narratives, selective presentation of facts, emotional framing
- Network-based tactics: bot networks, coordinated inauthentic behavior, sockpuppet accounts, astroturfing
- Media-based tactics: deepfakes, manipulated images, fabricated videos, AI-generated synthetic personas
- Targeting and personalization: algorithmic amplification, microtargeting, psychographic segmentation
The prevalence of online manipulation has been amplified by generative AI, which enables actors to create convincing synthetic content at scale, impersonate individuals, and personalize attacks with minimal effort. Traditional manipulation tactics (impersonation, falsification) have thereby become more accessible to larger pools of actors.
Key papers¶
- Generative AI Misuse: A Taxonomy of Tactics and Insights from Real-World Data — 27% of documented GenAI misuse incidents involved opinion manipulation; primary tactics include impersonation, sockpuppeting, and falsification paired with political campaigns and disinformation goals
Related topics¶
- Misinformation and Disinformation (underlying content and intent)
- Deepfakes (synthetic media as manipulation tool)
- Propaganda (historical and contemporary forms)
- Generative AI Misuse (AI-enabled manipulation)
- Bot Networks (coordinated inauthentic behavior)