Facebook said Russia and Iran are the internet’s leading spreaders of disinformation aimed at manipulating public opinion in a report published Thursday.
Facebook researchers linked most of Russian operations to the Internet Research Agency, a St. Petersburg-based troll factory that was also blamed by the U.S. intelligence community for 2016 election interference.
“Facebook’s broader security strategy against influence operations was developed in response to foreign interference by Russian actors in 2016,” the 2017-2020 Threat Report said.
Researchers also found disinformation links to Russian military intelligence.
According to Facebook, Russian disinformation attacks were mostly focused on neighboring countries, and partly on the U.S. from operations in Mexico.
Russia’s online disinformation attempts in the U.S. were mostly linked to the 2016 presidential elections, 2018 midterm congressional elections and the 2020 presidential elections, the report said.
The Russian operation based in Mexico made posts on hot-topic social issues such as feminism, Hispanic identity and the Black Lives Matter movement.
“We have not seen sufficient evidence to claim that this operation extends beyond individuals from Mexico, but in the public disclosure, the FBI attributed this activity to the Russian Internet Research Agency,” the report said.
The report's findings are based on previously published separate reports by Facebook researchers on disinformation campaigns that occurred between 2017 and 2020.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
