Best of Q: Why Mexican drug cartels are mastering social media
Researcher Antoine Nouvet explains how Mexican drug cartels use social media to bolster their image and suppress criticism.
In a conversation from the Best of Q, Jian speaks to Antoine Nouvet, a researcher with the SecDev Foundation in Ottawa, about how drug cartels are employing social media in familiar, if disquieting, ways -- but also explains some of their more nefarious online activities.
- The Open Empowerment Initiative: Latin America (external link)
- The SecDev Foundation website (external link)
Nouvet explains that cartels are using platforms like Facebook fan pages and videos of charitable work to improve their image. But their digital initiatives don't stop there. Cartels may also be using a process called "reverse hacking" to silence their critics.
The original show aired November 25, 2013