UM Data Science Research Seminar
The UM Data Science Research Seminar Series are monthly sessions organized by the Institute of Data Science, in collaboration with different departments across UM. The aim of these sessions is to bring together scientists from all over Maastricht University to discuss breakthroughs and research topics related to Data Science.
N.B.: All events are in-person and free of charge. We also offer participants a FREE lunch.
Schedule
Lecture 1
Time: 12:00 - 12:30
Speaker: Thales Bertaglia (IDS, Studio Europa)
Title: "Self-Disclosure Practices on Instagram: A Multi-Country Longitudinal Study"
Abstract: The rise of influencer marketing has led to an increase in sponsored content on social media platforms, but the lines between paid and organic content can be blurred. This lack of transparency can lead to confusion and mistrust among consumers. Our research aims to shed light on these complexities and provide insights into how influencers navigate these challenges in their self-disclosure practices.
In this talk, we will present a study of self-disclosure practices of influencers in advertising on Instagram over a 12-year period. Our analysis includes over a million posts by 400 influencers from four countries with varying approaches to regulation and enforcement: the US, Brazil, Germany, and the Netherlands. Our study uncovers variations in the professionalisation of content monetisation among countries, consistent patterns of significant differences in the frequency of posts yet with similar user engagement trends, and significant differences in the disclosure of sponsored content, which may be related to national regulations.
Lecture 2
Time: 12:30 - 13:00
Speaker: Anda Iamnitchi
Title: "Towards the Detection of Multi-platform Coordinated Behavior in Social Media".
Abstract: Coordinated multi-platform information operations are implemented in a variety of contexts on social media, including state-run disinformation campaigns, marketing strategies, and social activism. Characterized by the promotion of messages via multi-platform coordination, in which multiple user accounts, within a short time, post content advancing a shared informational agenda on multiple platforms, they contribute to an already confusing and manipulated information ecosystem. This presentation discusses the challenges of development and testing content- and platform-agnostic techniques capable of identifying multi-platform coordinated information operations.
