In today’s information society, digital media plays an important role in shaping public opinion. Although digital platforms provide faster, easier, and cheaper access to information, they also create opportunities for information manipulation and the artificial formation of public consensus. Such manipulation can distort people’s perception of public opinion and influence their decisions.

One of the ways in which information manipulation occurs is through coordinated activity in digital media. Bots, fake accounts, artificially increased numbers of likes and comments, disinformation, and the suppression of opposing opinions can be used to create an illusion of widespread public support. These practices may contribute to the spread of misleading information, reduce trust in digital media, and increase social polarization.

Political organizations and governments have also used digital platforms to spread disinformation and influence public opinion. The development of digital democracy has been accompanied by increasingly sophisticated forms of information influence, including social media manipulation, bots, and astroturfing. These methods became particularly visible in major political and social events, including the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the COVID-19 anti-vaccine movement.

Identifying coordinated and inauthentic activity is therefore important for understanding how information manipulation occurs in the digital environment. Recognizing the actors involved, their motives, and the methods they use can help develop more effective approaches for detecting manipulation and countering disinformation. This study focuses on methods for detecting information manipulations in digital media, with particular attention given to YouTube.

Read more: Methods for detecting information manipulations in digital media the case of YouTube