Under the Radar: Unmasking the Coordinated Reach of Russian Doppelganger Bots

[Emrys]

A new generation of information warfare tools still pose the same threat to Ukraine, unity in Europe and the US elections

The Intelligence Committee under the President of Ukraine, warned in a statement on 27 February 2024, of Russia’s plans to undermine Ukraine using information operations to divert global attention from the ongoing war. According to the statement, objectives include spreading false narratives about Ukraine and its partners, demoralizing Ukrainians, sowing panic, and creating divisions in military and civilian spheres.

Russian special services spent $1.5 billion on information operations in November 2023, with $250 million for the ‘Maidan-3’ special operation on Telegram. Maidan-3 is due to peak in March-May 2024, intensifying global destructive narratives, questioning government legitimacy, spreading panic, creating artificial divisions, causing discord with allies, and promoting conspiracy theories. Ukrainian security services are calling for joint resistance and comprehensive security measures, especially in the information space, to counter global threats from Russia’s ongoing hybrid war.

One of Russia’s most widespread tactics is the “Doppelgänger bot network” in which state actors utilize Doppelgänger bots on X/Twitter to disseminate misleading narratives, sow discord, and influence public opinion globally. Researchers have revealed the scale, methods, and adaptability of this disinformation campaign, emphasizing its impact on Western democracies.
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The Doppelgänger network uses a cross-platform approach, operating across web pages and social media networks (Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube), employing diverse formats such as videos and online ads, to build a mirror labyrinth, using repetition as a mechanism for forming a parallel reality.

https://bylinetimes.com/2024/02/29/under-the-radar-unmasking-the-coordinated-reach-of-russian-doppelganger-bots/

(Note: This article - published in February but still relevant now - is unusual because if you click on a paragraph, a computer-generated voice will read the text to you - a neat feature that should be more widely adopted.)

[FakeNoose]

1. I don't see TikTok on the list, but I'm sure it's happening there too

It's the reason why I'm skeptical about almost every platform that isn't Democratic Underground.

There are bad actors on our internet and the US has made very little effort to get them out.