Major Russian disinformation campaign on social media uncovered by Germany

According to a media source on Friday, January 26, Germany has discovered a significant “pro-Russian disinformation campaign” that uses thousands of fictitious X accounts to attempt and incite resentment at Berlin’s backing for Ukraine. The disclosures coincide with escalating apprehension regarding the potential influence of ever intricate disinformation operations on electoral outcomes. News weekly Der Spiegel said that between December 20 and January 20, 2021, messages on the web platform X, formerly known as Twitter, were monitored by specialists hired by the German foreign ministry using specialized software. It is reported that they discovered over 50,000 fictitious user profiles, which collectively generated over a million tweets in German. Spiegel, which claimed to have seen portions of the research, claimed that accusations that Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s administration was ignoring the nation’s own citizens in favor of supporting Ukraine in its conflict with Russia were a recurring topic. Spiegel stated that the accounts frequently connected to fictitious news articles on websites that mimicked those of legitimate media sources, prompting experts to associate it with the Russia-affiliated “Doppelganger” operation that is already well-known to law enforcement. The findings coincide with growing concerns about the potential impact of highly skilled disinformation efforts on elections. In eastern Germany, where the far-right AfD party is leading in the polls, three regional elections are being held this year. Approximately 400 million individuals in the European Union will be able to cast ballots in the June European Parliament election. This week, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell issued a warning, stating that 2024 will be a “critical year” in the fight against misinformation spread by entities like Russia. He forewarned that elections will turn into “the prime target for malign foreign actors.” For the next two years, misinformation is the biggest concern, according to the World Economic Forum. (With agency inputs)