Putin Has Shifted His Internet Propaganda Army Into Overdrive
from the truth-should-not-be-relative dept
While propaganda is certainly not the exclusive territory of Putin's Russia, it has become clear that Putin and friends -- when not busy arranging accidents for administration critics -- have taken internet propaganda specifically to an entirely new level. Back in April, reports started emerging detailing how Putin has built entire factories dedicated to soiling and seeding the internet with propaganda. Armies of paid sockpuppets get paid 40,000 to 50,000 rubles ($800 to $1,000) a month to create proxied, viable fake personas -- specifically tasked with pumping the internet full of toxic disinformation twenty-four hours a day.It has been fascinating to watch whistleblowers at these factories coming forward in recent months, detailing how they're shocked by how effective such efforts are on shaping public discourse:
"The scariest thing is when you talk to your friends and they are repeating the same things you saw in the technical tasks, and you realize that all this is having an effect,” the former worker said."Interestingly, one of the workers at these factories was recently courageous enough to put her name in print. Journalist and single mother Lyuda Savchuk states she knew she was entering an "Orwellian universe" when she took the job, but found things notably worse than she ever imagined once inside:
"I knew it was something bad, but of course I never suspected that it was this horrible and this large-scale," she said in an interview in her apartment, which has colorful drawings on the walls for her two preschool-age children. She described how the trolls manage several social media accounts under different nicknames, such as koka-kola23, green--margo and Funornotfun. Those in her department had to bash out 160 blog posts during a 12-hour shift. Trolls in other departments flooded the Internet with doctored images and pro-Putin commentary on news stories that crop up on Russian and Western news portals."While the AP report states Savchuk quit, other reports suggest that she was fired only after speaking to the media. Not only that, Savchuk is suing the government, focusing on the lack of paperwork outlining her responsibilities or the reason for her firing (apparently the Russian government isn't keen on a paper trail). She's also organizing an activist retaliation to the propaganda efforts:
"The ‘troll factory’ operates based on very weird schemes, but all those firms are connected to each other, even though they are separate legal entities,” Savchuk was quoted as saying. Since her dismissal, Savchuk has been organising a public movement against online trolling called Informatsionny Mir – a name that can be translated both as “Information World” and "Information Peace." "There are both opposition activists and supporters of the government among us, but we all believe that such methods of information war are unacceptable,” she said."Several of the reports note that there has been a concerted effort to hire more English speaking trolls to try and influence thinking in the United States as well, as Russia gleefully annexes the Ukraine and tries to defend its atrocious positions on gay rights. Internet Research, the company that runs the operation and is owned by a friend of Putin, has also taken to hiring more Serbian trolls to try and pull Serbia off of its trajectory as a future EU member. As has long been the case, this propaganda operates hand in hand with the use of violence to silence opposition:
"When Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was killed in Moscow in late February, the Serbian trolls were quick to react. "Who is to gain from this assassination but America? It must have been CIA," was the dominant mantra that took hold in discussions on Serbian news sites. "Likes" went into the hundreds, while comments such as "Putin is responsible" received widespread ridicule."Putin's problem? Propaganda usually only works well when it's not easily identifiable as propaganda. Putin and friends appear to believe they can overcome this problem by simply operating on a massive scale, using not only its troll factories but tens of thousands of Twitter bots to shout nonsense from every internet street corner. Of course you'd like to think the pillars of truth have their roots in firmer bedrock, and on most of these issues (like gay rights) Putin's simply throwing money at a thunderstorm. But on other issues (like eroding support for Serbian EU integration or fostering support for Russia's invasion of the Ukraine), Putin's army of disinformation jackasses have been worryingly effective.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: internet, internet trolls, lyuda savchuk, russia, russian trolls, trolls
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Your total evidence is trusting those who FAKED up the Iraq war.
How can you possibly take this without doubt when you run articles that the FBI is funding and coaxing patsies so can arrest them as "terrorists"?
Of course YOU will claim that you're not a paid propagandist, so you must just be gullible beyond belief!
Not a hint of suspicion that the former US of A has similar tools among the 850,000 spooks in "Top Secret America" that the Washington Post reported years back?
If you can't at least read this alternate view, then you're a sucker for US propaganda:
"Washington and its echo chamber media attack Putin for asserting Russian sovereign independence and opposing America's imperial agenda."
http://rinf.com/alt-news/featured/relentless-putin-bashing/
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Your total evidence is trusting those who FAKED up the Iraq war.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Your total evidence is trusting those who FAKED up the Iraq war.
"Someone says something political that supports what I disagree with, or that questions my assumptions. Therefore, they must be propagandists."
........
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Your total evidence is trusting those who FAKED up the Iraq war.
The use of the words 'propaganda' and 'troll' indicate a negative framed response - did you dislike or disagree with the idea of pointing out the media efforts of the Iraq war were somehow disingenious?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Your total evidence is trusting those who FAKED up the Iraq war.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Your total evidence is trusting those who FAKED up the Iraq war.
I'm sure you can't. QED.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Your total evidence is trusting those who FAKED up the Iraq war.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Your total evidence is trusting those who FAKED up the Iraq war.
I'm sure you can't! QED.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Your total evidence is trusting those who FAKED up the Iraq war.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Your total evidence is trusting those who FAKED up the Iraq war.
You can be troll'ed with a list of facts. Because sometimes actual facts upset people and upsetting people is what trolls do.
How the US of A conducts itself is controversial and discussion is inflammatory to many who make their living off of these actions. And the conduct of the US of A could be considered off-topic or irrelevant to a discussion of Putin.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Your total evidence is trusting those who FAKED up the Iraq war.
The first is part correct, but its not just Washington, its mostly everyone.
after the word FOR, you assumption as to why they attack is incorrect. It's more like, because he's a punk, poser, closet fag, with problems.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Your total evidence is trusting those who FAKED up the Iraq war.
Stay classy, soldier.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Your total evidence is trusting those who FAKED up the Iraq war.
Maybe you should have checked before foaming off at the mouth:
US Military Kicks Off Plan To Fill Social Networks With Fake Sock Puppet Accounts
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110318/02153313534/us-military-kicks-off-plan-to-fill-so cial-networks-with-fake-sock-puppet-accounts.shtml
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Your total evidence is trusting those who FAKED up the Iraq war.
But I don't hold it against you--I assume you are just another working schmuck with a family to feed, getting paid to do a job.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
out_of_the_blue just hates it when due process is enforced.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
If you're interested in gaining a broader perspective (and a much more interesting/probable explanation of events), please consider taking a look at these as a primer:
~Ukraine crisis is about Great Power oil, gas pipeline rivalry
~The New York Times “basically rewrites whatever the Kiev authorities say”: Stephen F. Cohen on the U.S./Russia/Ukraine history the media won’t tell you
...and if you have some time, this vid provides some very interesting insigts: Propaganda, mass psychology, and the Ukraine
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
"just call me Vladamire; cause I be poot'n"
*joke curtisy of us propaganda corps
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Armies of paid sockpuppets get paid 40,000 to 50,000 rubles ($800 to $1,000) a month to create proxied, viable fake personas
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
And ladies and gentlemen, now I give you the leaders of your nonsensical "no blood for oil" slogan for the past 13 years, the Putin apologists themselves the Stop the War coalition! http://stopwar.org.uk/news/the-real-enemy-is-not-russia-or-vladimir-putin-it-is-the-hypocrisy-of-the -us-and-britain
I looked forward to seeing millions of you marching against the imperialist, irredentist invasion of Ukraine by a Putin-revived-Tsarist Russia when it happened. I don't think it reached even a thousand.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I Doubt They'll Fool Anyone Outside of Russia.
During the Second World War, the German commando chief, Otto Skorzeny tried to requisition English speakers, for his sabotage-troops, which would operate behind the Allied lines during the Battle of the Bulge, in December 1944, but he only got a bunch of guys who had taken English in school. The Germans who were likely to speak English well were also likely to have emigrated to get away from Hitler and the Nazis. Many of them did serve-- in the American army or the British army. During the battle, some of Skorzeny's best English-speakers, dressed in American uniforms, drove up to an American POL depot (Army gas station), and asked for "Petrol, please," when they should have said: "Gimme some gas, bud, and step on it!" They were immediately captured, worked over a bit until they "sang," and then shot.
I take it we are all exposed on a daily basis to people on the telephone from India, claiming to be Microsoft tech support from California. They don't even talk the way educated Indians talk. There are varying ways you can respond to them. I've taken to the "Vampire Laugh," myself:
"BWAHAHAHA! BWAHAHAHA! BWAHAHAHA! BWAHAHAHA!"
It seems to work as well as anything, and saves time.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Does this sort of thing exist elsewhere?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
what goes around comes around
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-operation-social-networks
Though in reality, the story of that Russian propaganda factory that caught Karl Bode's attention (assuming the story is even true and is not itself a counter-propaganda gig similar to 'WMD') seems very amateurish in comparison to the depth and sophistication to the US military's sock-puppetry programs.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: what goes around comes around
This seems rather reminiscent of the same thing.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: what goes around comes around
But, you know, maybe it's just because I am Political Officer in Columbus, Ohio division of Russian Troll Army®.
Seriously, dudes. The xenophobic fucktarderie expressed here makes me sicker than any "enemy propaganda" ever could.
Karl, take a look in the fucking mirror.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Today Techdirt shame me
I have no issue with Techdirt lampooning Russian propaganda. (Propaganda should be exposed and ridiculed as much as possible IMHO.) The article is far to one sided for comfort though. I read "as Russia gleefully annexes" and cringe.
It stings worst when commoners read it, because it makes them even more susceptible to main-stream-media "rooting for the hero home team" versus evil. Commoners I sent here.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
asdf
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: asdf
From this angle Russia seems to be led by a bunch of thieves and murderous villain types, at the moment. Israel? Sheesh, if God wrote down that's their land well I guess that gives them the right to, you know, kick shit over and plant a ranch. Great Britain? The "ban encryption" great britain? Snooper's paradise great britain? Fuck those guys.
They're all pissing in the pot that, by right of our own existence, belongs to all of us, and then some. Just ask one of the seven guys that practically own the planet, they'll tell you, power is intoxicating, even for idiots that figure out how to charm crowds and countries.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Is this news
As others have commented everyone is in the game, and western powers more so than anyone else.
This reminds me the NY times articles on Chinese spying and their special "internet spy army brigades", while America pressed the Chinese diplomatically on "their" spying problem. That all fizzled out and disappeared with the Snowden revelations.
I cant help see this article as another stone in the western propaganda campaign against Putin the last few months, and not really about social media propaganda.
People in glass houses...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Be aware that russian politics is far less interactive with the population and the population is very apathic politically in Russia in general. It gives a lot more room for the government to act than in countries where the population would scream at the lack of transparency and "freedom". Russians are nice people and the strenghtening of national unity is positive overall. Still, the political apathy, the nationalism and the difficult access for non-conform media in russian language is making the issue of Ukraine and "the west" into a propaganda war where the truth is the first victim. This is a glimpse of the darkest part of that.
This post is detailing an expose of a non-mainstream activity that would be lambasted no matter where it is happening because its modus operandi is to basically lie. Take "Russia" out of the context and the story would still be newsworthy on Techdirt.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
This article is based on skillful fakery, and here is why:
Second of all, how many eastern european folks command english language to such a high degree in order to pump/troll out 160 blogs daily, presumably in english langua-franca, in 12 hour shifts? About 0.1‰ of them. And they will CERTAINLY not do it for meagre peanuts of $800 to $1000 a month, that much I can assure you, if the official demand is so high for such workers.
Third of all, U.S. gov't and its army leaders have already admitted they use sophisticated software and their own army of web trolls to spread their own pro-american propaganda, as mentioned by several other contributors in this discussion.
Which all means, that Karl Bode, author of this very article, has most likely unwittingly fallen for an ukrainian-made honey-pot propaganda trap.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: This article is based on skillful fakery, and here is why:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: This article is based on skillful fakery, and here is why:
I think my very favourite part of this bullshit is how the magical lack of any tangible proof itself becomes "proof" of how evil and nefarious those Ruskies really are.
In truth, there is no doubt that the Russian government is trying to make themselves look good, but I doubt they're doing anything we're not.
By writing this horse shit, all Techdirt has done is shown that it's writers are easily manipulated.
I expect more pro-US, anti-Russia propaganda from them in the future.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: This article is based on skillful fakery, and here is why:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: This article is based on skillful fakery, and here is why:
I disagree
The main stream media hammer the propaganda. How can anyone know that it is untrue! To assume that it is easy is a mistake, IMHO.
I hold TD to a higher standard, Karl Bode included. TD does a better job than most. If Iran, Russia, IS, North Korea (and so on) is hammered, TD is often FOXed. This is an indication of the level of propaganda, not of TD being easily duped. Just look at other media and it is evident.
TD also revise its position when they figure it out, a hallmark of true journalism. Perhaps North Korea wasn't responsible for the leaking Sony servers after all. TD also get it right from the start frequently, as in the Kim Dot Com saga.
Still, when people I send to TD read FOXed articles, it feels like I had recommended that they should trust main-stream-media outlets or "the president". It's uncomfortable.
There is telltale indicators to rapidly identify a lot of propaganda:
- excessive use of emotional content
- changing connotation while saying the same factual information. Like "he is patriotic"->US vs. "he is nationalistic"->everyone else.
- giving wildly diverting description for the same group to invoke different emotion. Like "US bombs the terror group IS" vs. "Syria bombs the 'opposition'". Giving the impression that US stem the exodus of refugees to Europa while the Syrian government is the cause of the exodus. Anyone that checks would find that any opposition worth mentioning in Syria is the IS, and would instantly know that the lie is intentional.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: This article is based on skillful fakery, and here is why:
...they're all Western.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: This article is based on skillful fakery, and here is why:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: This article is based on skillful fakery, and here is why:
Still, it is not quite at the level of "Iraki soldiers forcing their way into premature wings of hospitals, throwing the infants at the floor, and then stealing the incubators." And told by the eye witness nurse herself. And retold by presidents.
Or "Polish soldiers shooting border guards"
This is often the precursor for war
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
How is this different than the liberal media in the US?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: How is this different than the liberal media in the US?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
If you think that these are fallacies of relevance then you don't understand fallacies of relevance.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Media Bias Regarding Russia
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Snowden
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Lyudmila Savchuk has won! The truth has won! No more paid trolls on the net!!
#SavchukVSTrolls
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
#SavchukVSTrolls
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Propaganda should be stopped! #SavchukVSTrolls
[ link to this | view in chronology ]