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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Varqa Shamsi BaharORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Purpose: Credible influencers play a key role in shaping the views and preferences of social media users. However, many influencers intentionally use disinformation (e.g. false narratives) to deceive users and gain their trust. This can have serious repercussions, not only for the firms that associate with these influencers but also for users. Further, and alarmingly, many influencers who use disinformation can sustain their credibility over time. This research explores how influencers use disinformation to establish long-term credibility on social media. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on self-presentation theory, we use an in-depth qualitative case study to address our research question, primarily relying on archival data obtained from multiple sources. Findings: Our findings suggest that three stages of self-presentation are required to establish influencer credibility based on disinformation: backstage (preparing to deceive), experimentation (testing deception), and frontstage (launching deceptive ideas on a large scale). We also find that when fraudulent influencers simultaneously weaponise a counterculture and mindfully encase disinformation, users view them as highly credible. Practical implications: We offer practical suggestions for regulating fraudulent influencers, including enacting fact-checking procedures, using IT artefacts as reliability signals, and building awareness programmes to develop vigilance in social media communities. Originality/value: We contribute to self-presentation theory by adding experimentation as a critical stage in developing disinformation that works for long periods. We also contribute to the literature at the intersection of social media influencers and disinformation research by revealing why social media users believe in fraudulent influencers.
Author(s): Bahar VS, Hasan M
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Information Technology & People
Year: 2024
Pages: ePub ahead of Print
Online publication date: 06/08/2024
Acceptance date: 05/07/2024
Date deposited: 09/08/2024
ISSN (print): 0959-3845
ISSN (electronic): 1758-5813
Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
URL: https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-05-2023-0421
DOI: 10.1108/ITP-05-2023-0421
ePrints DOI: 10.57711/9jxc-h243
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