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Connecting the domains: an investigation of internet domains found in Covid-19 conspiracy tweets

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  • J. D. Moffitt

    (Carnegie Mellon University)

  • Catherine King

    (Carnegie Mellon University)

  • Kathleen M. Carley

    (Carnegie Mellon University)

Abstract

Conspiracy theories (CTs) have thrived during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to spread on social media despite attempts at fact-checking. The isolation and fear associated with this pandemic likely contributed to the generation and spread of these theories. Another possible factor is the high rate of Twitter users linking to off-platform alternative news sources through URL sharing (Moffitt et al. 2021). In this paper, we compare URLs and their parent domains linked in CT and non-CT tweets. First, we searched the parent domains of URLs shared in conspiracy theory and non-conspiracy theory classified tweets for the presence of Google tracking codes. We then constructed meta-networks linking domains, tracking codes, and Twitter users to find connections between domains and evidence of an eco-system that may have contributed to the cultivation and spread of conspiracy theories during the pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • J. D. Moffitt & Catherine King & Kathleen M. Carley, 2024. "Connecting the domains: an investigation of internet domains found in Covid-19 conspiracy tweets," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 206-231, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:comaot:v:30:y:2024:i:3:d:10.1007_s10588-023-09379-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10588-023-09379-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Shadi Shahsavari & Pavan Holur & Tianyi Wang & Timothy R. Tangherlini & Vwani Roychowdhury, 2020. "Conspiracy in the time of corona: automatic detection of emerging COVID-19 conspiracy theories in social media and the news," Journal of Computational Social Science, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 279-317, November.
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