How Network Analysis can be used to the Detriment of Society
Source: https://ccp.jhu.edu/2018/08/13/misinformation-viral-fake-news/
In our discussions of graph theory, game theory and markets, we mainly focused on the positive outcomes that could result from analysis of networks. These included search engines that have made information easily accessible to people and social networking sites such as LinkedIn that have made it easier for people across the globe to mingle.
However, Susan Krenn’s article on fake news offers an example of how unscrupulous persons could use the same analysis to advance negative agenda successfully. She explains that those spreading fake news use the same techniques of network analysis that her organization uses to spread healthy behaviors.
Another example could be someone applying game theory analysis to come up with a strategy that would unfairly cripple a competitor in business while giving them an edge by predicting people’s reaction. Similarly, in a small social circle, someone may want to get back at someone else and by understanding the other person social graph, they could come up with a strategy to isolate the other person, damage the other person’s reputation or blackmail them.
Just as study of elements in Chemistry could result in medicines that cure diseases and could also result in sophisticated chemical weapons that could kill millions of people, so does the study of networks have the capability to result in positive outcomes that make society a better place or negative ones.