Researchers uncover six-year Russian misinformation campaign across Facebook and Reddit

“According to researchers, the content tended to promote themes that align with Russian national interests during the period, including the unreliability of Ukraine, hostility to NATO interventions, or personal attacks on critics of the Kremlin or Russian government. The campaign took particular aim at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which instituted a four-year ban on Russian involvement in international sports after finding evidence of doctored lab results.“

“Despite the broad scope and long duration of the campaign, few of the posts reached a broad audience, suggesting that the groups coordinating the effort may not have succeeded in their aims. “If Secondary Infektion was aiming at viral impact,” the report concludes, “it failed.”

In many instances, users appear to have dismissed the troll posts as untrustworthy, tipped off by poor grammar or idiosyncratic political agenda. “Repeatedly in the course of this research, Graphika came across comments below Secondary Infektion stories that questioned or ridiculed them, or called them out as ‘Russian trolls,’” researchers say. “It is therefore especially important to maintain a sense of perspective when crafting responses to such online operations.””

I could tell that reddit has been hijacked since around 2015 or so. Not surprised.

Just wonder how all those smart people on there don’t realize they were being manipulated so obviously. Maybe they aren’t as smart as they used to be.

I don't know why Russia even bothers, Fox News has brainwashed enough people in this country.

I appreciate this thread!

I've heard stories of Russian malfeasance over the web for quite some time. For what it's worth, I do feel there is some concern, but I still don't really understand what the over-arching purpose of the whole sneaky operation really is. What is their primary mission in doing this, and in doing so, what do they hope it will accomplish?

If Russians put as much energy into making their country a better place as they do trying to make the world think their country is a better place, it would actually be a better place. What the fuck is wrong with that entire country mentally? Trump should move there. He'd fit right in.

Putin just made a comment to (of course) Maggie Haberman about how the US is a mess politically because of racial and economic tension.

Like, fuck off, you short bald bitch. Go ride a horse with no shirt.

R6, the overwhelming desire is to create a climate that enables the ending of sanctions against Russia. It's one of the great ironies that Putin is presented as this hugely successful, Bond-villain type genius, but he hasn't got anywhere near his main international objective and, indeed, his ineptness or lack of control over underlings makes it less likely (cf the Salisbury poisonings).

The Ottoman Empire was once called the Sick Man of Europe because it was a once-great powerhouse that was crumbling and in a rapid decline. I feel like that's an apt title for Russia this century. They enjoy nowhere near the status they once possessed during the Soviet years. Their internet guerrilla warfare is the only thing providing any victories, and even these will be short-lived and aren't exactly helping their average citizen.

[quote]few of the posts reached a broad audience, suggesting that the groups coordinating the effort may not have succeeded in their aims

Sounds like 2016. Their Boris and Natasha type Facebook posts have always been a flop, but they did have huge success with the Steele Dossier. Probably much more than they had imagined.

Isn't Pooty supposedly worth something like $200 billion? I'd say running his country into the shitter is working out quite nicely for him.

[quote]Maybe they aren’t as smart as they used to be.

Reddit used to be smart?

Let me guess Facebook turned the other cheek?

Wonder if this has anything to do with Reddit banning a bunch of groups today like r/The_Donald, r/ChapoTrapHouse and r/gendercritical?

Yes. And we will fall for it every time. Americans are the dumbest cunts on the planet.

Did Datalounge make the list? Probably not.

Took them long enough.

R15, that's great news. Good for Reddit (for once).

Realllllly? Noooooooooo!

You don’t say?!?!?

Probably r15. The crackdowns are starting. Barr and Dump are on wafer thin ice.