* **Summary:** In the summer of 2017, Twitter bots—automated accounts—were deployed to boost messaging on both sides of the diplomatic dispute between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.” Calling this a “diplomatic dispute” understates the complexity of regional dynamics, at the center is an alleged report that Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, had made an astonishing speech, and alleged “hack” of Qatar’s official news agency, and further woven into concerns Saudi Arabia has about the influence of public perception, the role of Al Jazeera.
