Citation :

Yash Patel, "Cybersecurity Risks of Social Media Platforms in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," International Journal of Computer Trends and Technology (IJCTT), vol. 74, no. 1, pp. 7-11, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/22312803/IJCTT-V74I1P102

Abstract

Social media platforms now sit at the center of everyday communication for individuals and organizations. That visibility and reach also make them attractive to attackers. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes embedded in social media ecosystems through content creation tools, recommendation systems, automated interaction, and moderation, well-known threats such as phishing and impersonation are being reshaped rather than replaced. This article reviews double-masked peer-reviewed research on cybersecurity risks tied to social media use, with emphasis on how AI-enabled techniques amplify deception, accelerate malicious content spread, and complicate detection. A thematic analysis synthesizes empirical findings across social engineering, account compromise, malicious link distribution, data leakage, and human factors. The literature indicates that social media security problems are socio-technical: attacks succeed through a mix of platform features, organizational workflows, and user judgment under pressure. The article closes with stakeholder-specific implications for platform developers, organizational security teams, and policymakers, and identifies research gaps that remain unresolved.

Keywords

Social Engineering, Phishing, AI-Enabled Threats, Data Leakage, Artificial Intelligence.

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