Characterizing video-based online information environment using VTracker

Abstract

YouTube is the second most popular website on the internet and a major actor in information propagation, therefore making it efficient as a potential vehicle of misinformation. Current tools available for video platforms tend to hyperfocus on metadata aggregation and neglect the analysis of the actual videos. In an attempt to provide analysts the tools they need to perform various research (behavioral, political analysis, sociology,etc.), we present VTracker (formerly YouTubeTracker), an online analytical tool. Some of the insight analysts can derive from this tool are inorganic behavior detection and algorithmic manipulation. We aim to make the analysis of YouTube content and user behavior accessible not only to information scientists but also communication researchers, journalists, sociologists, and many more. We demonstrate the utility of the tool through some real world data samples.