Western news websites 'infiltrated' by pro-Russian trolls - researchers

6 September 2021, 05:56

Pro-Russian trolls have been using reader comments to wield influence over public opinion, according to researchers
Pro-Russian trolls have been using reader comments to wield influence over public opinion, according to researchers. Picture: Alamy

By Daisy Stephens

Reader comments sections of prominent western news websites have been infiltrated by pro-Russian trolls seeking to manipulate the picture of public opinion, researchers believe.

The major influence operation is said to have targeted 32 media outlets online across 16 countries, including the Daily Mail, Daily Express, The Times, Fox News and The Washington Post.

Almost 250 stories were found to contain provocative pro-Kremlin or anti-Western sentiments in the comments about matters of relevance to Russia - such as tensions in Crimea - since a probe began in April.

The ongoing campaign is thought to have escalated since 2018, but more recently it has exploited the US and UK withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Read more: PM to 'use every economic, political and diplomatic lever' to help Afghans left behind

Read more: 'Devastated beyond words': Tributes pour in for Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding

"This report highlights the threat to our democracy of Russian state backed misinformation on the internet," said Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.

"The UK is working closely with international allies to stand up to the Kremlin trolls peddling lies."

Russia expert believes nation is trolling UK with submarines

Comments are often posted early on and receive an unusually high number of up-votes on sites that allow other readers to like and dislike, according to the Foreign Office-backed Open Source Communications Analytics Research (Oscar) programme at Cardiff University.

These reactions are then selectively used as the basis for stories in Russian media to suggest western public approval of Kremlin policies or discontent against western governments.

Read more: Zahawi: Vaccine passports to be introduced for large venues 'by end of September'

Read more: Heathrow passengers caught in 'unacceptable' queues for another day

For example, an aggregator service called inoSMI.ru - which is connected to the Russia Today network - has a headline featuring a comment from an article on The Times, that translates to, "British: Putin realised that Nato will not fight for Ukraine (The Times)".

They were then amplified via social media, as well as on fringe websites with track records of spreading disinformation and propaganda, some with links to Russian intelligence agencies.

Though some of the comments could originate from western users, researchers say there are signals in the data that indicate a degree of inauthenticity with some accounts that point towards it being a coordinated effort.

Social media analyst: 'Everyone has done something stupid.'

Professor Martin Innes, director of the Crime and Security Research Institute at Cardiff University, said it was easy to create an account and quickly begin posting comments on some sites without any identity checks.

"We were posting a comment as soon as you signed up, on a number of them you can post a comment and it's almost instantaneously displayed, so it's quite a vulnerability really and it's open to be manipulated by state actors but anybody else as well," he said.

Forensic behavioural analysis of account profiles posting pro-Kremlin comments showed that some of these users are repeatedly changing their personas and locations.

Read more: Brazil v Argentina World Cup qualifier descends into Covid-19 farce with game abandoned

Read more: Leo Varadkar attends London festival despite ongoing restrictions in Ireland

In 2014, moderators for the Guardian noticed pro-Kremlin comments in their Ukraine coverage, though there was no conclusive evidence about who was behind it.

Professor Innes said: "My best assessment or best guess almost on this is, it happened in 2014, then I suspect a lot of the attention shifted more towards creating fake social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and places like that.

"But as those platforms have got better at defending themselves I have a feeling that those people who want to engage in this kind of activity have drifted back to these kind of sites, so probably from 2018, 2019 onwards and it's kind of been growing since then."

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Matt Gaetz withdraws as Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general amid sexual misconduct allegations

Donald Trump nominates Pam Bondi for attorney general hours after Matt Gaetz withdraws

Starmer has backed the International Criminal Court over its arrest warrant for Netanyahu

Netanyahu faces arrest if he travels to Britain as Starmer vows to enforce International Criminal Court warrant

Yvette Cooper has branded the Rwanda scheme a "complete con."

Yvette Cooper to crack down on anti-social behaviour with new 'respect orders' as repeat offenders face jail time

King Charles III And Queen Camilla on Coronation Day

King Charles' coronation cost taxpayer £72 million, report reveals

Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City

Pep Guardiola signs two-year contract extension with Manchester City

Captain Tom's Daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore

Behaviour at Captain Tom charity left ex-boss 'gobsmacked'

Armed robbers attempted to break into the star's Sunderland home.

Masked machete-wielding robbers break into Charlotte Crosby's home while she is upstairs with two-year-old daughter

Police have released new CCTV of Harshita Brella and her husband

Chilling CCTV released of Harshita Brella and prime murder suspect husband on night she was killed

First photos of Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special as James Corden and Ruth Jones mark triumphant finale

First photos of Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special as James Corden and Ruth Jones mark show's triumphant finale

King Charles performs a Hongi, a traditional Maori greeting, with Mere Takoko

King Charles shares traditional Maori nose rub greeting with activist as he launches environmental charity

Putin issued a chilling threat to the West as he confirmed Russia launched a ballistic missile against Ukraine

Putin issues chilling warning to UK and US as he confirms Russia hit Ukraine with new 'experimental' ballistic missile

Telegraph writer Allison Pearson.

Police drop investigation into journalist Allison Pearson over tweet - as review to be launched over handling of case

Exclusive
Angela Rayner has paid tribute to John Prescott

Angela Rayner says John Prescott 'used to call her after PMQs to remind her to stay true to who she is'

Four men have been arrested accused of attempting to rob a mobile phone store

Undercover police arrest four men after EE shop raided by masked gang

Matt Gaetz withdraws as Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general amid sexual misconduct allegations

Matt Gaetz withdraws as Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general amid sexual misconduct allegations

Donald Trump Watches SpaceX Launch Its Sixth Test Flight Of Starship Spacecraft

Elon Musk pledges to fire civil servants who work from home