Social Bots Spreading Disinformation About Finance: Research Trends, and Ethical Challenges

Pohl, Janina; Griesbach, Marie; Samiei, Alireza; de Araujo, Adelson

Abstract

The ever-rising danger of social bots spreading disinforma- tion about stock markets and the coordinated usage of mass misinfor- mation tactics in social media can create conditions for malicious groups to manipulate market values and investor behaviors in weak positions. Several studies have proposed approaches to dealing with disinformation escalated by modern technologies, and regulatory bodies need to absorb the lessons given. In this paper, we will discuss the problem of disinfor- mation in finance and the role of social bots. To have a birds-eye view of the most prominent topics in the academic literature, we conduct a topic modeling analysis to depict broad patterns, e.g., the connectivity between subjects and their topicality. Subsequently, we provide some thoughts and directions on what new regulations might require consid- ering to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of regulatory actions. As a result, we consider a number of broad and interdisciplinary implications of financial and ethical regulations.