New Senate report details extent of Russia's 2016 disinformation campaign
A new report prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee, the first to study millions of posts from the 2016 presidential campaign provided by Facebook, Twitter, and Google, says that Russians working at the Internet Research Agency posted on every major social media platform photos, videos, and messages to help get President Trump elected, and continued the effort to support him once in office, The Washington Post reports.
The Post obtained a draft of the report, compiled by Oxford University's Computational Propaganda Project. Researchers found that at certain points, like during presidential debates, disinformation campaigns ramped up, with different groups receiving targeted messages: for example, conservatives saw posts about gun rights, while black voters saw false information about how to vote.
"What is clear is that all of the messaging clearly sought to benefit the Republican Party — and specifically Donald Trump," the report says. "Trump is mentioned most in campaigns targeting conservatives and right-wing voters, where the messaging encouraged those groups to support his campaign. The main groups that could challenge Trump were then provided messaging that sought to confuse, distract, and ultimately discourage members from voting."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The tech companies were all extremely slow to realize what was going on, the report says, even though the Russians slipped up several times, like paying for ads with rubles. Social media, the report states, went from a "natural infrastructure for sharing collective grievances and coordinating civic engagement to being a computational tool for social control, manipulated by canny political consultants and available to politicians in democracies and dictatorships alike." Read more about the report at The Washington Post.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
5 inexcusably funny cartoons about Hunter Biden's pardon
Cartoons Artists take on nomination qualification, absolute turkey, and more
By The Week US Published
-
What Donald Trump owes the Christian Right
The Explainer Conservative Christians played an important role in Trump’s re-election, and he has promised them great political influence
By The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published
-
South Korean president faces rising impeachment odds
speed read Opposition lawmakers said they would vote to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol following his recent imposition of martial law
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
France's Macron vows to finish out term
Speed Read French President Emmanuel Macron rejected calls to step down and said he will name a new government in the coming days
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump DEA nominee bows out as Hegseth pick stalls
Speed Read Florida Sheriff Chad Chronister withdrew as Trump's pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
French government poised to fall amid budget fight
Speed Read Far-right and leftist opposition parties both filed motions of no confidence against Prime Minister Michel Barnier
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Biden arrives in Angola for historic Africa visit
Speed Read The president intends to strengthen U.S. ties with Africa and counter China's dominance in the region
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden pardons son Hunter
Speed Read Joe Biden has spared his son Hunter a possible prison sentence for felony gun and tax convictions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump says he wants loyalist Kash Patel to lead FBI
Speed Read The former federal prosecutor served in senior national security roles in Trump's first administration
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel and Hezbollah agree to ceasefire
Speed Read Both sides accepted an agreement brokered by the United States and France
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published