ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre has launched the Understanding Global Disinformation and Information Operations website.
The site provides a visual breakdown of the publicly-available data from state-linked information operations on social media.
ASPI’s Information Operations and Disinformation team has analysed each of the data sets in Twitter’s Information Operations archive to provide a longitudinal analysis of how each state’s willingness, capability and intent has evolved over time.
The analysis demonstrates that Saudi Arabia is leading the largest disinformation campaigns on social media targeting its own domestic populations.
The analysis demonstrates that there is a proliferation of state actors willing to deploy information operations targeting their own domestic populations, as well as those of their adversaries. The data find that Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia are the most prolific perpetrators.
According to the finding, there are 11,318 Twitter account backed by or associated with Saudi Arabia, posting a total number of tweets (90-day filter) of 41,201,791. The peak of the activity was reported in October 2019 (2,316,045 tweets).
Between October 2019 and January 2020, Twitter removed four networks of accounts associated with Saudi Arabia and in some cases linked to Saudi Arabian state-run media. In general, accounts in the networks primarily sought to advance the foreign policy aims of the Saudi Government, praise the Saudi leadership and shape perceptions about domestic and international issues occurring in the Gulf countries, such as the Yemen civil war.
As evidenced by the number of mentions of Qatar relative to other states, Saudi-linked accounts were most prolific in the politically tense period of the Qatar blockade, when Qatar was isolated by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, starting in 2017.
ASPI revealed that 88,000 pro-Saudi Twitter accounts were removed shortly after permanently suspending the official account of Saud Al-Qahtani, the former advisor at the Saudi Royal Court and one of the most prominent close associates of the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for violating Twitter policies.
Twitter revealed 5,929 accounts affiliated with Smaat, a Saudi-based social media marketing and management company, and linked to a state-backed information operation.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is working to pave the way towards the throne, by all possible means including distortion and disinformation, arresting opponents, and silencing critics (that was the case with the journalist Jamal Khashoggi) in violation of all international laws and norms.
More: Bin Salman Fears Increases Following the Leaking of All his Communications
