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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRussia-linked disinformation campaign spreading unfounded conspiracy theories about COVID-19: report
Published 1 hour ago on February 22, 2020
By Agence France-Presse
Thousands of Russian-linked social media accounts have launched a coordinated effort to spread alarm about the new coronavirus, disrupting global efforts to fight the epidemic, US officials say.
The disinformation campaign promotes unfounded conspiracy theories that the United States is behind the COVID-19 outbreak, in an apparent bid to damage the US image around the world by seizing on health concerns.
State Department officials tasked with combating Russian disinformation told AFP that false personas are being used on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to advance Russian talking points in multiple languages.
Russias intent is to sow discord and undermine US institutions and alliances from within, including through covert and coercive malign influence campaigns, said Philip Reeker, the acting Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia.
By spreading disinformation about coronavirus, Russian malign actors are once again choosing to threaten public safety by distracting from the global health response, he said.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/02/russia-linked-disinformation-campaign-spreading-unfounded-conspiracy-theories-about-covid-19-report/
applegrove
(118,023 posts)routine and only pretend they are angry with each other? This is deserving of international sanctions against Russia.
2naSalit
(86,072 posts)NJCher
(35,435 posts)They should be able to figure this out and they damn well better. This is nothing to mess around with.