Social media and the internet of things towards data-driven policymaking in the Arab world: potential, limits and concerns by Salem, F

“… <p style="text-align:justify;"> The influence of social media has continued to grow globally over the past decade During 2016 social media played a highly influential role in what has been described as a “post truth” era in policymaking diplomacy and political communication For example social media “bots” arguably played a key role in influencing public opinion globally whether on the political or public policy levels Such practices rely heavily on big data analytics artificial... …”

Troops, Trolls and Troublemakers: A Global Inventory of Organized Social Media Manipulation by Bradshaw, S, Howard, P

“…The earliest reports of government involvement in nudging public opinion involve democracies, and new innovations in political communication technologies often come from political parties and arise during high-profile elections.…”