The News
A multimillion-dollar Russia-backed scheme to spread misinformation and sow political and cultural divisions ahead of the 2024 presidential election in the US attracted millions of views, the US Justice Department said Wednesday — part of a major Biden administration crackdown on Russian influence operations, that saw dozens of websites seized and Russian state-owned media companies and their employees sanctioned.
The alleged scheme saw US content creators, many of whom attract a largely right-wing audience, being paid to publish thousands of videos that spread Russian government narratives, the Justice Department said.
Several conservative influencers who are believed to have interacted with the alleged influence campaign denied any knowledge of the plot. “Should these allegations prove true, I as well as the other personalities and commentators were deceived and are victims,” said right-wing personality Tim Poole, who interviewed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on his podcast in May and was associated with TENET Media, a conservative outlet whose mission statement appeared to be referenced in the indictment.
SIGNALS
US efforts to fight disinformation face uncertain future
While the US faces concerted efforts from adversaries to spread disinformation and sow division, Biden administration officials have sounded the alarm over the State Department’s hub for fighting disinformation, the Global Engagement Center. The center faces an uncertain future, as many congressional Republicans have accused it of muffling conservative speech, and have so far refused to reauthorize its budget for next year. “I cannot figure out why Congress wouldn’t want people to do what I do everyday, which is wake up in the morning and figure out how to fight Russian, Chinese, and Iranian disinformation and propaganda,” the unit’s top official said.
Russian information warriors sought to convince its audience that ‘Americans are such scumbags’
The evidence collected by the US also reveals Russia’s efforts to sow division between the US and Europe and tamp down support for Ukraine. The Social Design Agency, a Kremlin-controlled company, said in an internal document released by the US Justice Department that it aimed to “escalate international tensions in the countries allied with the United States.” Summarizing its campaign in Germany, the organization said some main themes to hit on were that Ukrainians were “pigs,” “the difference between Ukraine and Germany,” and the idea that “the U.S. is behind everything.” In another memo, the company said it was preparing an information campaign to persuade its audience to think “really why do WE need to help Ukraine?” and, “Americans are such scumbags!”
Russia threatens to retaliate against American media
Russian officials have warned that the crackdown will have consequences for American media. “There will be a response,” a spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry said, adding that Russia will take “retaliatory measures against the American media” over the US charges against state broadcaster RT. Another official said that possible countermeasures could target how information from US news outlets is disseminated in Russia. RT responded dismissively to questions about its alleged role in the plot, saying: “There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and RT’s interference in the American elections.”