An in-depth exploration of social media and emergent technology that details the inner workings of modern propagandaUntil recently, propaganda was a top-down, elite-only system of communication control used largely by state actors. Samuel Woolley argues that social media has democratized today’s propaganda, allowing nearly anyone to launch a fairly sophisticated, computationally enhanced influence campaign. Woolley shows how social media, with its anonymity and cap...

Bots – automated software applications programmed to perform tasks online – have become a feature of our everyday lives, from helping us navigate online systems to assisting us with online shopping. Yet, despite enabling internet users, bots are increasingly associated with disinformation and concerning political intervention.In this ground-breaking book, Monaco and Woolley offer the first comprehensive overview of the history of bots, tracing their varied applications throughout t...

THIS ISN'T AN EPISODE OF BLACK MIRROR. THIS. IS. THE. FUTURE.'A mind-blowing and essential book for a future that's practically already here. This book scares the hell out of me, but if we listen to Woolley's wake-up call, then I also have hope.' Jane McGonigal, author of Reality is BrokenThe problem of online disinformation is only getting worse. Social media may well play a role in the US 2020 presidential election and o...

An in-depth exploration of social media and emergent technology that details the inner workings of modern propagandaUntil recently, propaganda was a top-down, elite-only system of communication control used largely by state actors. Today, as Samuel Woolley argues, social media has democratized propaganda, allowing nearly anyone to launch a fairly sophisticated, computationally enhanced, propaganda campaign. Woolley shows how social media, with its anonymity and cap...

The problem of online disinformation is only getting worse. Social media may well play a role in the the US 2020 presidential election and other major political events. But that doesn't even begin to describe what future propaganda will look like.As Samuel Woolley shows, we will soon be navigating new technologies such as human-like automated voice systems, machine learning, 'deep-fake' AI-edited videos and images, interactive memes, virtual reality and augmented reality. In storie...