Russian robots on the Internet in disinformive operations

Russian dezinformative robots on the internet have tried to further ignite the movement of protest „the yellow cells” in France, American and British media reported in early December. False images of the protests have also been brought into circulation. As evidence media bring information of the initiative “Alliance for Democratic Security”, of the American nongovernmental organisation German Marshall Fund (GMF). This initiative monitors tewitter accounts that spread Russian influence online. In these accounts the protests of (#gilettes) yellow vests have been the main theme for a week. What account this is about is not made public.

On the site of this projection “Hamilton 68” points out that there are three annual sets of twitter ʹ those who have been opened pro-rus, or with links to the Russian government, so-called “Troll factories” internet robots that are in operation inside and outside Russia, and others that are kept in place by different individuals in the world that „reinforce Russian topics. Among the sources that spread these accounts are almost always Russian media abroad, RT or Sputniknews. Often these messages are about American politics, explains Brett Schafer about Deutsche Welle. Social media expert stresses, that these accounts post English-speaking public and their impact on French protests is small. “More words are made for specific topics to remain central to the network, to be discredited in the whole West, and liberal democracy to be presented in a poor light. ”

Goal-Crime

Maxime Auditit, Russia expert at the French Institute for International Relations, IRFI points out that Russian information <x0-activities should not be understood as an instrument to mobilise new activists for yellowies, or to start violence”, says Auditit. Russian subx2>The report aims to strengthen polarisation in the public debate and to influence so much the image of this movement in France and abroad in order to create the image of a divided country at the edge of civil war. ”

Characters in Focus

“It's not the yellow gentiles in focus”, but President Macro says Ben Nimmo information safety expert at the Atlantic Council Institute. Nimmo has detailed a French „operation” of Russian internet robots in a report by Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRL), a project of the Atlantic Council Institute. Some details of the account block Nimmo and his colleagues came to see. They had 76,000 followers, mostly created in the middle of 2017. Some French accounts were presented as people from a wide spectrum. One was represented as nationalist, another as ultracommunist. Others were represented as African women. ” Most of these harmless “ ” actions, but 5 out of 12 accounts had the focus of President Macron's verbal and visually. Photographs where Macro was presented as an incentive for slavery. Facebook does not publish who is behind the account. But after that, it may be linked to an Internet Research Agent, (a Russian firm in St Petersburg that is represented in Western media as a robot factory, St.red.), but that cannot be fully stated. ”

The small number of accounts on the grid, expert Ben Nimmo, links it to the limited possibilities of Russian robots in French and that the operation has been in its beginning. In the US, Russia strengthened online activities two and a half years ago under presidential elections, the expert recalls. These cases should be seen in a broader context. “This is not about yellow vests, such operations usually have a longer-term goal.” The goal is Emmanuel Macro. /Dw