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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRussia amplified hurricane disinformation to drive Americans apart, researchers find
https://apnews.com/article/russia-hurricane-disinformation-fema-9e37c73ab8ffa2a2d338797a1a827e57WASHINGTON (AP) Russia has helped amplify and spread false and misleading internet claims about recent hurricanes in the United States and the federal governments response, part of a wider effort by the Kremlin to manipulate Americas political discourse before the presidential election, new research shows.
The content, spread by Russian state media and networks of social media accounts and websites, criticizes the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, exploiting legitimate concerns about the recovery effort in an attempt to paint American leaders as incompetent and corrupt, according to research from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. The London-based organization tracks disinformation and online extremism.
In some cases, the claims about the storms include fake images created using artificial intelligence, such as a photo depicting scenes of devastating flooding at Disney World that never happened, researchers say.
The approach is consistent with the Kremlins long-standing practice of identifying legitimate debates and contentious issues in the U.S. and then exploiting them. Previous disinformation campaigns have harnessed debates about immigration, racism, crime and the economy in an effort to portray the U.S. as corrupt, violent and unjust.
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BoRaGard
(2,576 posts)Moostache
(10,114 posts)And the Russians both know and laugh about it. The ease and facility with which they can influence Americans to stupidity is breath-taking. I cannot begin to fully explain just how insane our culture has become and how deep the intellectual rot runs in the populace, but suffice it to say this - we are being consumed by lies and the facts are being called into doubt to the benefit of a very small few, a cohort of greed and idiocy that is bone-marrow deep and as useless to humanity as screen doors on submarines.
underpants
(186,056 posts)tulipsandroses
(5,977 posts)will grab on to anything that further reinforces their view of the ' guvment" - meaning democrats.
If this nonsense was being spread when trump was president - they would easily recognize it as nonsense and more than likely blame Democrats for spreading lies.
I am constantly being told that I should not be looking down on these people. Doing so, makes me " elitist".
Whatever, I'll take it. I'd rather be " elitist" than an ignorant hateful asshole.
Sequoia
(12,517 posts)Posting those Chimney Rock Park lies that the government will seize all properties, along with the mines in Spruce Pine. It was non-stop cruel.
PA Democrat
(13,289 posts)Gee, why would Putin want Trump back in the White House?
Oh yeah, Trump's promise to "settle" Russia's war against Ukraine (in Putin's favor of course). And with no sane voices to stop him, Trump would most likely pull out of NATO like he wanted to do when he was president per John Bolton.