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Security analysts flag rise in Russian-created misinformation posts on social media following Kirk shooting
Russian-backed groups go as far to create fake news reports, analysts found.
Security analysts flag rise in Russian-created misinformation posts on social media following Kirk shooting
— Corey O'Neill (@coreyoneill.bsky.social) 2025-09-17T02:57:50.304Z
Russian-backed groups go as far to create fake news reports, analyists found.
abcnews.go.com/Politics/sec...
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/security-analysts-flag-rise-russian-created-misinformation-posts/story
In the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, cybersecurity analysts have detected a rise in social media posts that not only spread misinformation about the killing but also look to enrage social media users during an already politically tense situation.
The Center for Internet Security (CIS) and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), which monitor extremism online, found there were widespread posts raising alarms about a perceived increase in political violence across the U.S., with numerous posts blaming the "radical left" that generated high levels of engagement.
A large number of those posts aren't coming from Americans who are angry, frustrated or bitter over the Sept. 10 shooting, but Russian-backed groups, according to the analysts.
The nonprofits said those groups, including a Russia-aligned disinformation project known as Operation Overload, are going so far as to manufacture phony news reports, celebrity quotes and images to push bogus info about the Kirk killing with the intent on inflaming passions among conservative and LGBTQ+ audiences.
"Their goal is not just to get people to consume that content but also act on it," said John Cohen, an ABC News contributor and former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official. "And in our current threat environment, that is dangerous."
The Center for Internet Security (CIS) and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), which monitor extremism online, found there were widespread posts raising alarms about a perceived increase in political violence across the U.S., with numerous posts blaming the "radical left" that generated high levels of engagement.
A large number of those posts aren't coming from Americans who are angry, frustrated or bitter over the Sept. 10 shooting, but Russian-backed groups, according to the analysts.
The nonprofits said those groups, including a Russia-aligned disinformation project known as Operation Overload, are going so far as to manufacture phony news reports, celebrity quotes and images to push bogus info about the Kirk killing with the intent on inflaming passions among conservative and LGBTQ+ audiences.
"Their goal is not just to get people to consume that content but also act on it," said John Cohen, an ABC News contributor and former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official. "And in our current threat environment, that is dangerous."