Identifying Bot Accounts on Twitter During the 2023 Ecuadorian Presidential Election

Identifying Bot Accounts on Twitter During the 2023 Ecuadorian Presidential Election | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Identifying Bot Accounts on Twitter During the 2023 Ecuadorian Presidential Election Juan Diaz, Pedro Luzuriaga, Anthony Salazar, Erick Cuenca, Alexandra Jima-Gonzalez, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3867297/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The 2023 Ecuadorian presidential elections, contested between Daniel Noboa and Luisa González, marked a significant event in the nation's democratic journey. Amidst the fervor of campaigns and political debates, the role of social media, particularly Twitter, emerged as a focal point of interest. This study delves into the Twitter activities of both candidates, aiming to discern the potential use of automated actors, commonly known as ''bots", in shaping online narratives and influencing public opinion. By employing state-of-the-art bot detection methodologies, we analyzed the tweet patterns, engagement metrics, and content dissemination strategies associated with the official accounts of the candidates. Our findings shed light on the extent and implications of bot-driven interactions, offering insights into the evolving dynamics of political communication in the digital age. The results underscore the importance of ensuring transparency and authenticity in online electoral campaigns, pivotal for preserving the sanctity of the democratic process. Elections Bots Twitter Machine learning Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-3867297","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":267344450,"identity":"b6d1e09f-1b59-4ceb-9c04-d8e4fb60f19b","order_by":0,"name":"Juan 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Amidst the fervor of campaigns and political debates, the role of social media, particularly Twitter, emerged as a focal point of interest. This study delves into the Twitter activities of both candidates, aiming to discern the potential use of automated actors, commonly known as ''bots\", in shaping online narratives and influencing public opinion. By employing state-of-the-art bot detection methodologies, we analyzed the tweet patterns, engagement metrics, and content dissemination strategies associated with the official accounts of the candidates. Our findings shed light on the extent and implications of bot-driven interactions, offering insights into the evolving dynamics of political communication in the digital age. 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