Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Counterterrorism expert Watts writes a timely, occasionally chilling account of the use and misuse of social media by a variety of geopolitical players. He traces the rise of social media platforms-looking well beyond Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube-to illustrate how many have been used for a variety of nefarious ends, such as influencing potential voters or radicalizing potential terrorists. Watts uses examples-ranging from early social platforms such as Yahoo Groups, which were meeting places for like-minded extremists, to more recent dating apps, which have been used to gather personal or compromising information on users-to make the case that all platforms are vulnerable to misuse. He finishes with advice on coping with social media's effects on contemporary life. He peppers his analysis with his personal experiences pulling communications-based pranks at West Point, interacting with a U.S.-born al-Qaeda operative on Twitter, identifying internet trolls, and falling victim to viral misinformation (aka fake news), demonstrating his expertise while showing just how easy it is to be affected by bad actors on social media. Watts combines a down-to-earth voice with an ability to recreate moments of social media troublemaking to discomfiting, informative effect. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Library Journal Review
Former FBI special agent Watts presents a timely yet dangerous look at how the world shares and discovers information, along with how people strive to manipulate and sway information. He explains how the dawn of the new millennium gave terrorists and nefarious individuals an effective way to communicate via social media platforms to recruit followers, incite violence, and influence global politics. Specific examples are discussed, from Osama bin Laden using social media in its infancy as a recruitment tool to how Russia waged "information attacks" and hacked U.S. email accounts to influence the 2016 presidential election-which he asserts won Donald Trump the White House-that led to social media giants coming under fire. A discussion of why corporations and social media companies should be in panic mode at a time when public trust in their services has dwindled owing to various entities using their platforms for harm is also provided, as well as thoughts on how they and the U.S. government can protect themselves and our citizens. Verdict Reminiscent of John Perkins's Confessions of an Economic Hit Man for its behind-the-scenes details of corruption, this work will appeal to military, cybersecurity, and political readers.-David Miller, Farmville P.L., NC © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
