Russian Disinformation - Bots and Trolls, a Primer
Table of Contents 📖
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"Gentlemen, we interfered, we interfere, and we will interfere, carefully, precisely, surgically, and in our own way, as we know how."
Hello Team!
Jonathan introduces the topic of Russian bots and trolls, which is a big subject worthy of a full video. He refers back to his earlier videos arguing with a Russian troll as a good introduction to this topic.
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The Geopolitical Landscape
- A 2022 paper in Nature Human Behavior by Ilya Yablokov discusses the history of Russian disinformation efforts, especially after Putin took power
- In 2007, Putin spoke against a "unipolar world led by the USA" and expressed Russia's intention to challenge US global hegemony
- After the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, Moscow realised directly fighting mainstream Western opinion was pointless and instead focused on presenting alternative narratives via outlets like RT (Russia Today)
Sowing Discord
- RT's US launch tapped into polarising topics like 9/11 conspiracy theories to sow doubt and discord
- Russia aims to destabilise by supporting both far-left and far-right causes in different countries
- Social polarisation and inequality after 2008 provided fertile ground for Russian disinformation campaigns
Bots vs Trolls
- Bots are automated software that generate fake accounts, likes, shares to amplify certain content
- Troll farms are groups of real people who post divisive content and comments online
- Ukraine has uncovered and shut down several Russian bot farms spreading disinformation
- Trolls are paid to post comments supporting pro-Kremlin narratives and attack opponents
- They often introduce themselves with relatable identities to gain trust before pushing propaganda
Troll Tactics
- Trolls infiltrate interest groups/blogs and slip in pro-Russian content among regular posts
- They use brigading to steer online discussions and manipulate polls
- Activity is concentrated on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok; traces found on 8+ platforms
- Innovations include VPNs, amplifying organic pro-Kremlin content to avoid detection
- Trolls work to make pro-Russian views seem like the norm
Troll Factories
- Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Wagner PMC, admitted to founding the Internet Research Agency troll farm in St Petersburg
- The IRA was sanctioned by the US for election interference in 2016
- Prigozhin: "I created it... to protect the Russian information space from boorish aggressive propaganda of anti-Russian narrative from the West"
- In Feb 2023 he said: "Gentlemen, we interfered, we interfere, and we will interfere, carefully, precisely, surgically, and in our own way, as we know how."
Wrap Up
Jonathan notes that information warfare via troll farms is much cheaper and easier for Russia than physical warfare. He recommends the British TV series "The Undeclared War" for an inside look at Russian hacking and trolling. Jonathan asks for feedback on whether he should continue engaging with trolls in the comments - while he enjoys arguing with them, it may give them more visibility. But challenging their points directly could also expose the weaknesses in their arguments. He thanks his viewers and members for their support and asks them to like, subscribe and share to amplify the message, jokingly saying "Be my bots, or something."
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