Hamilton 68 has been tracking Russian bots/influence networks now for six months straight -- I sat down with their team to discuss how bot activity has evolved. Here's what they've noticed:
npr.org/2018/02/08/584…
npr.org/2018/02/08/584…
First, Hamilton 68 noticed that Russian bots/influence networks have really upped the 'deep state narrative' to undermine faith in US institutions -- it just 5-10% of bot chatter in October. Last week, it was 38%. npr.org/2018/02/08/584…
Second, Hamilton 68 noticed innocuous hashtags like #WednesdayWisdom and #MondayMotivaton used among Russian propaganda on Ukraine/Syria -- slipping foreign policy among normal-looking tweets: npr.org/2018/02/08/584…
"We look at that as being the recruitment topic," analyst Bret Schafer told NPR. "If they started shouting about Syria and Ukraine... less people would see it, and it would be less effective."
npr.org/2018/02/08/584…
npr.org/2018/02/08/584…
Third, Hamilton 68 found that while the bots do use news sources the alt-right is familiar with, they slip in fringe propaganda outlets among them: that's why you find them tweeting about StalkerZone or the Donbass News Agency or Tsarizm.com
npr.org/2018/02/08/584…
npr.org/2018/02/08/584…
Alarmingly, Sen. Mark Warner, the top Dem on Senate Intel, says that there really isn't a legislative or policy solution that fixes the problem of bots:
"I don't think we have come up with a legislative or policy solution yet that fully gets it right."
npr.org/2018/02/08/584…
"I don't think we have come up with a legislative or policy solution yet that fully gets it right."
npr.org/2018/02/08/584…
