Russian Disinformation

What is Disinformation?

Disinformation is false information that is intended to mislead and decieve. Often times, disinformation is created on purpose - "especially for propaganda issued by a government organization to a rival power or the media" (Google Dictionary). Many parties and groups use disinformation for their own benefit, such as Russia.

The Russian Spread of Disinformation

Many people use social media everyday - as a source of communication, entertainment, and so much more. However, not everything we see on social media is trustworthy and accurate, as Russian disinformation has been circulating in American media sources.
For example, during the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, Russia used disinformation to help elect Donald Trump into the office - and even harder to help support him in office. Russia used many social media platforms (e.g. Youtube, Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to spread disinformation - particularily to help Trump win.
However, this isn't the only example of Russian disinformation. In fact, Russia's top 5 most persistent disinformation narratives are showing that Russia is innocent, historical revisionism (if the reality does not fit into the Kremlin's, then it doesn't exist), the collapse of the Western civilization, and much more.
Why does Russia spread disinformation though? A report from LAWFARE states that Russia not only wants to "divide us," but to cause "chaos." A way Russia can spread disinformation is through proxy sites.

Russian Proxy Sites:

Strategic Culture Foundation (SCF)

The SCF is an online journal entry directed by Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service. The journal was mainly aimed for a Western audience, giving a platform for Western conspiracy theories that the Kremlin approve of, while appearing to be “an organic voice within its target audience of Westerners”.

Katehon

Katehon is a Moscow-based think-tank mainly for European audiences. Its founder is "pro-Putin oligarch Konstantin Malofayev, whose pro-Kremlin Tsargrad TV calls itself the “voice of the Russian orthodox majority.”" (Iranwire). However, Malofayev was sanctioned in 2014 by the US and EU for funding Russian forces in Ukraine. Katehon has also promoted false claims, such as "The U.S. created the coronavirus in 2015," "Pope Francis is a servant of George Soros," and much more.

News Front

News Front is a "Crimea-based network," which aimed to provide 'alternative information' for a Western Audience, however mainly focusing on "Russia-backed forces in Ukraine." News Front also supported many of the COVID-19 conspiracies, however having its Youtube channel and Twitter account removed in May.

What can you do to protect yourself?

Fake News is all over the media, so how to you protect yourself from it? Well, Arizona State University found 7 helpful ways to help protect yourself against misinformation and disinformation. Whenever you see information from social media, you should always check the original source, as well as getting information from multipe sources. You should also always check with family/friends to see if the information is correct, and if it isn't, have it corrected. Another important step to protect yourself is to Read Beyond the headline, as most of the time the headlines aren't there to inform you, but to mislead you.