The Internet Research Agency reportedly tried to manipulate the US election in 2016. Now it has apparently been active again – with the help of fake journalist accounts.
Two months before the US presidential election, Facebook and Twitter are warning of new disinformation campaigns by a network operated from Russia. According to Facebook, the actions can be traced back to the Internet Research Agency, which holds US intelligence agencies responsible for targeted propaganda ahead of the 2016 presidential election. As the online network announced, the information about the new Facebook activities came from the FBI.
According to Facebook, which is based on the analysis of the service provider Graphika, the Agency used the PeaceData website, among other things, to influence the political decision-making process of voters. According to the information, the target group of the campaign was primarily left-wing Facebook users.
Between February and August 2020, PeaceData published more than 500 articles in English and more than 200 in Arabic. Topics included US interference in other countries, corruption and the dark side of capitalism.
The names of authors and journalists were therefore made up. The faces in their profile photos were most likely generated with the help of artificial intelligence.
