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2017 #SMSociety Theme: Social Media for Social Good or Evil

Our online behaviour is far from virtual–it extends our offline lives. Much social media research has identified the positive opportunities of using social media; for example, how people use social media to form support groups online, participate in political uprising, raise money for charities, extend teaching and learning outside the classroom, etc. However, mirroring offline experiences, we have also seen social media being used to spread propaganda and misinformation, recruit terrorists, live stream criminal activities, reinforce echo chambers by politicians, and perpetuate hate and oppression (such as racist, sexist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic behaviour).

Sunday, July 30 • 11:01 - 12:30
Crisis And Collective Problem Solving In Dark Web: An Exploration Of A Black Hat Forum [WIP]

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Authors: K. Hazel Kwon, J. Hunter Priniski, Soumajyoti Sarkar, Jana Shakarian and Paulo Shakarian

Abstract: This paper explores the process of collective crisis problem-solving in the darkweb. We conducted a preliminary study on “The Hub”, one of the Tor-based darkweb forums, during the shutdown of two marketplaces. Content analysis suggests that distrusts permeated the forum during the marketplace shutdowns. Much of sense-making effort was made to the debates concerned with suspicious claims and conspiracies. The results suggest that a market crisis potentially offers an opportunity for cyber-intelligence to disrupt the darkweb by engendering internal conflicts. At the same time, the study also shows that darkweb members were adept at reaching collective solutions by sharing new market information, more secure technologies, and alternative routes for economic activities.

Sunday July 30, 2017 11:01 - 12:30 EDT
TRS 1-147 - 7th Flr Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University 55 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON M5G 2C9