How Russian Bots Invade Our Elections

Summary

The transcript discusses how Russia uses bots and trolls to spread disinformation through platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Bots are automated accounts, while trolls are real people pushing an agenda. Both work together to amplify messages, influence elections, and exploit divisive issues. The 2016 U.S. elections were a significant target, with Russian-linked groups promoting fake news, phishing attacks, and divisive content. Experts advise identifying bots by analyzing behavior, language, and profile details. Russia's goal is to influence politics rather than use force, making disinformation a key tool in modern warfare.

Takeaways

• 🤖 Bots are automated social media accounts that operate without human intervention and can be used to make content appear more popular by retweeting or sharing posts in large numbers.
• 👥 Trolls are real people, either driven by passion or paid, who post content to push specific agendas, often anonymously or while pretending to be someone else.
• 🇷🇺 Russia is highly skilled in deploying bots and trolls, and it has used them in disinformation campaigns, particularly during events like the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
• 🕵️ Russian trolls and bots were suspected of promoting divisive hashtags like 'War Against Democrats' and attempting to influence political outcomes through fake news and misinformation.
• 🔍 Lyudmila Savchuk, a St. Petersburg activist, went undercover to study how these disinformation campaigns operate from within troll factories, such as the Internet Research Agency.
• 💻 Bots can be used to amplify the reach of trolls by retweeting and promoting their posts, increasing the visibility of disinformation across platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
• 📧 Russian intelligence allegedly used phishing attacks to steal emails damaging to Hillary Clinton, which were then published on a site called DC Leaks, and promoted by trolls and bots.
• 🇺🇸 Russian-linked trolls and bots are believed to have targeted divisive issues like police brutality and immigration, creating Facebook groups and organizing real-life rallies.
• 🛑 Experts suggest ways to detect bots and trolls, including looking for alphanumeric usernames, excessive posting patterns, and language errors typical of non-native speakers.
• 🔗 Facebook estimated that Russian ads and posts, promoting divisive content, were shown to Americans over four million times before the 2016 election.

Q & A

What is a bot in the context of disinformation?

A bot is an automated social media account that operates without human intervention. Bots are used to amplify messages, making individual posts or tweets appear more popular by having them retweeted or shared by a large number of bots.

What is the difference between a bot and a troll?

A bot is an automated account, while a troll is a real person motivated by passion or a paycheck to push specific agendas on social media. Trolls may create posts or interact with other users to spread disinformation, while bots help amplify the trolls' messages.

How were bots and trolls used during the 2016 U.S. presidential election?

Suspected Russian operators used bots on Twitter to promote hashtags like 'war against Democrats' and employed trolls to push disinformation. Trolls would create posts or promote content, and bots would retweet or share them to give the appearance of greater popularity and engagement.

Who is Lyudmila Savchuk, and what has she done in relation to disinformation campaigns?

Lyudmila Savchuk is a St. Petersburg-based activist who has tracked disinformation campaigns and even went undercover to learn how Russian troll factories work. She exposed the operations of these entities and shared her findings with the public.

What is the Internet Research Agency (IRA), and why is it significant?

The Internet Research Agency (IRA) is a Russian organization, also known as a troll factory, that has been linked to disinformation campaigns. It employs trolls to create and amplify divisive content on social media, often for political purposes such as influencing elections.

How did Russian trolls use Facebook to influence the 2016 U.S. elections?

Russian trolls created fake Facebook accounts and groups to exploit divisive social issues, such as police violence or immigration. They posted content, including videos and ads, to fuel anger and mistrust among different groups. Some of their ads were shown to Americans millions of times before the election.

What methods did Russian disinformation agents allegedly use to damage Hillary Clinton's campaign?

Russian intelligence agents are suspected of using phishing attacks to obtain damaging emails related to Hillary Clinton. These emails were published on a site called DC Leaks, which was then promoted by trolls and bots across social media to influence public opinion.

How do bots and trolls work together to amplify disinformation?

Trolls create the original content, such as a post or tweet, and bots are used to share or retweet that content, giving the illusion that the message is popular or widely supported. This tactic makes disinformation spread faster and appear more credible.

What are some red flags that might indicate a bot or troll account?

Red flags include accounts that are highly active during Russian work hours, post dozens of times a day, or have usernames that are alphanumeric scrambles. Additionally, profile pictures of attractive people may be taken from other sources, and the language used may contain grammar mistakes typical of non-native English speakers.

How can individuals verify if an account might be a bot or troll?

You can check for clues such as unusual activity patterns, errors in grammar, or changes in behavior during strained U.S.-Russia relations. Googling the profile picture or checking for common Russian grammatical mistakes can also help identify bots or trolls.