Active Measures: How Social Media Enables Russia to Influence the American People

Political polarization is increasing in the United States at a rate faster than previously observed. This increased tempo aligns with the creation and pervasiveness of social media in the lives of many Americans. More significantly, maligned actors like Russia are using social media to influence the American public and sow dissonance among the population. A look at the human qualities of how individuals gather and share information provide insight into the methods in which social media companies design their platforms to maximize profit. The expansiveness and ease of access that social media affords, then, becomes both an expansion of traditional social behaviors and an opportunity for exploitation. Russia has formalized their active measures strategy of influence operations and invested inorganizations and processes to capitalize on the vulnerabilities of social media behavior and design. Previous reporting and current analysis indicate that Russia will continue to utilize social media as an opportunity structure to exacerbate existing grievances in the US. Many countries are exploring proposed solutions to combat this growing threat; however, the solution will likely take a coordinated effort by all stakeholders involved.