The Fragility of Twitter Social Networks Against Suspended Users

摘要: Social media is rapidly becoming one of the mediums choice for understanding cultural pulse a region; e.g., identifying what population concerned with and kind help needed in crisis. To assess this it critical to have an accurate assessment who saying social media. However, also home malicious users engaged disruptive, disingenuous, potentially illegal activity. A range users, both human non-human, carry out such cyber-attacks. We ask, extent does presence or absence influence our ability region? conduct series experiments analyze fragility network assessments based on Twitter data by comparing changes structural content results when suspended are left taken out. Because account can be various reasons including spamming spreading ideas that lead extremism terrorism, we separately impacts removing apparent spam bots extremists. Experimental demonstrate Twitter-based structures unstable, highly impacted removal users. Further, exhibit regional temporal variation may related political situation civil unrest. provides guidance differential impact different types suspend-able