Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Discovering The Traces Of Disinformation On Instagram, Haley Bragg, Michele C. Weigle (Mentor)

Computer & Information Science: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Disinformation Detection and Analytics

Disinformation, which is fabricated, misleading content spread with the intent to deceive others, is accumulating substantial engagements and reaching a vast audience on Instagram. However, the temporary nature of the platform and the security guidelines that remove malicious content make studying this disinformation a challenge. The only way to access removed content and banned accounts that are no longer on the live web is by searching the web archives. In this study, we set out to quantify the replayability and quality of past captures of Instagram accounts, specifically focusing on a group of of anti-vax content creators known as the …