Twitter in Saudi Arabia — a “parliament of the people”? These bot accounts harass government critics, boost pro-government narratives and fabricate a sense of popular support in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the world. Many top Saudi influencers appear to be embedded within Saudi government institutions or major media outlets, while others have built sizable Twitter followings out of tweets praising Saudi leadership and attacking the kingdom’s enemies. ADADHow we researched what’s happening on TwitterTo assess the relative role of bots and Saudi influencers, we downloaded a number of politicized hashtags relevant to Saudi Arabia in near-real time. Inequality and intimidation are a bigger problemADTwo other dimensions shape Saudi Twitter: inequality and intimidation.

Source: Washington Post March 09, 2021 11:01 UTC