Following up on my earlier article today:

The Biden administration has announced actions to be taken to counteract the Russian government’s efforts to influence the upcoming presidential election. These will include criminal charges against two Russian nationals (not yet named), sanctions on ten individuals and entities, and the seizure of 32 internet domains.

Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco revealed that three Russian companies have used fake profiles on social media to advance false information. Internal documents of one of those companies show that one of its goals was to promote the candidacy of Donald Trump, or any other Republican nominee in this year’s election. [Sean Lyngaas, Evan Perez, Kylie Atwood, Zachary Cohen and Jennifer Hansler, CNN, September 4, 2024.]

In addition, two employees of RT, Russia’s state media network, were charged in connection with a scheme that targeted millions of American news consumers with — in the words of Attorney General Merrick Garland — “hidden Russian government messaging.” [Id.]

A lengthy FBI affidavit released today describes a Kremlin-backed program involving the planting of fake news stories attacking American politicians who support Ukraine.

In the indictment of the two RT employees, an operation is also described whereby news articles and online content are presented to favor Trump and others who are considered by the Kremlin to be friendlier to its interests. [Id.]

A great deal more detail is available — too much to present here. My purpose in commenting on these developments is not to reiterate someone else’s hard work, but to remind the reader, once again, that our enemies are still out there, and that their methods have become more sophisticated — so much so that we are not always able to recognize them. Like artificial intelligence, it’s not always easy to distinguish the real from the fake.

So be careful out there — and don’t believe everything you read.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/4/24