DOHA: There are at least 40,000 bogus user accounts on social networking sites, including Twitter and Facebook, in the Arab world and their purpose is to attack prominent Arab personalities and attempt critical assessment of their actions, says a social media expert.
There are an estimated 43,000 tweeters in Qatar and the peak hours during which most tweet are between 7.30pm and 8.30pm, said Ammar Mohamed, citing what he said were 2012 statistics. He is one of the 20 most influential tweeters in the Arab world and has more than 150,000 followers on the Twitter.
He was speaking here yesterday at an event to discuss the impact of social media, including Twitter and Facebook, on society.
The lecture was organised by the Cultural Innovative Centre under the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage. Abdullah Al Shafi, Director of the Centre, was present.
There are about 1,600 social networking sites in the world (excluding forums) and some eight to nine are popular in the Arab world and include Twitter and Facebook, said Mohamed. Some users in the Arab world fabricate stories of human tragedies to collect funds. This is a way for them to make money, he added.
Teyseer Abdullah, a journalist, said that social networking sites had become a way of life for an increasing number of people in the Arab world. Social media are a product of modern technology and one of their positive aspects is that they break news and spread information very fast, he said. Al Shafi said that the centre aimed to raise issues concerning Qatari youth and involve them in productive activities to help bring out and polish their talent. The Peninsula
