Researchers reverse-engineer 2016 Texas protest organized by Russian Internet Research Agency

[Nevilledog]

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Justin Hendrix
@justinhendrix
New @techpolicypress: UT researchers including @martinriedl, @bradlee_mov, @UTsharon et al reverse engineered the 2016 Houston protest instigated by the Russian IRA, with lessons on manipulation & role of political elites, media, social media & the crowd:

Researchers reverse-engineer 2016 Texas protest organized by Russian Internet Research Agency
More research is needed into the broader context and information ecosystem that enables propagandistic, divisive appeals to flourish.
techpolicy.press
5:44 AM · May 31, 2021

https://techpolicy.press/researchers-reverse-engineer-2016-texas-protest-organized-russian-internet-research-agency

A new paper considers one of the more prominent events organized by Russian operatives in the run up to the 2016 election, and the ways in which local organizers, the news media and social media were manipulated to create conflict on the streets of Houston, Texas. The study points to the necessity of more research as to why the information ecosystem in the United States appears so vulnerable to manipulation.

In its investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, the Senate Intelligence Committee detailed how the Internet Research Agency (IRA) crafted an influence operation that took advantage of social media to agitate “political events and protests in the United States.” Volume 2 of the Committee’s report noted how a “May 2016, real world event that took place in Texas illustrates the IRA’s ideological flexibility, command of American politics, and willingness to exploit the country’s most divisive fault lines.” The report described how IRA operatives used Facebook pages to pit two groups against one another in Houston:

IRA influence operatives used the Facebook page, “Heart of Texas” to promote a protest in opposition to Islam, to occur in front of the Islamic Da’wah Center in Houston, Texas. “Heart of Texas,” which eventually attracted over 250,000 followers, used targeted advertisements to implore its supporters to attend a “Stop Islamization of Texas” event, slated for noon, May 21, 2016. Simultaneously, IRA operatives used the IRA’s “United Muslims for America” Facebook page and its connection to over 325,000 followers to promote a second event, to be held at the same time, at exactly the same Islamic Da’wah Center in Houston. Again, using purchased advertisements, the IRA influence operatives behind the “United Muslims for America” page beseeched its supporters to demonstrate in front of the Islamic Da’wah Center-this time, in order to “Save Islamic Knowledge.”

REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES SENATE,
ON RUSSIAN ACTIVE MEASURE;S CAMPAIGNS AND INTERFERENCE IN THE 2016 U.S. ELECTION: VOLUME 2: RUSSIA’S USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

The Senate investigators found the IRA’s investment in the operation, which sparked confrontation between the two protests and produced local news coverage, was $200 and that “the entire operation was conducted from the confines of the IRA’s headquarters in Saint Petersburg.”

*snip*

[underpants]

1. I do not remember that

Very interesting

[stillcool]

2. I think the Mueller report had info on that...

seems a lifetime ago.

[Comfortably_Numb]

3. If you want to pick a state full of brain dead racist, redneck fucks, Texas is your huckleberry!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. Russia and Putin helped elect trump with stunts like the one described above