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Declassified U.S. intelligence agencies accuse Moscow of choosing propaganda-choice Internet sites, while Russia refines the techniques used in 2016.
By Julian E. Barnes and David E. Sanger
WASHINGTON – Russian intelligence agencies have spread incorrect information about the coronavirus pandemic, according to recently declassified intelligence, which shows how Moscow continues to try to influence Americans in the run-up to the election.
The intelligence of the Russian army, known as GRU, has used its links to a Russian government data center, InfoRos and other Internet sites to spread disdattoes and Propaganda in English about the pandemic, such as the amplification of fake Chinese arguments that the virus created through the U.S. military. and reports that Russia’s medical care can bring a new détente with Washington.
Misinformation efforts are a refinement of what Russia tried to do in 2016. Fake social media accounts and bots used through the Internet Research Agency and other Russian-backed equipment to magnify fake articles have proven easy to remove. But it is much more complicated to avoid the dissemination of such articles that appear on internet sites that seem legitimate, according to outdoor experts.
“Russian intelligence agencies play a more central role in the misinformation efforts that Russia is driving lately,” said Laura Rosenberger, director of the Alliance for Security of Democracy. “This is the brutal force” of operations set through the Internet Research Agency.
Two U.S. officials described the newly declassified data, but did not provide the underlying reports on the G.R.U. activities. and the S.V.R., the Moscow of the C.I.A. They discussed data on condition of anonymity.
Last week, intelligence officials warned that they opposed Russia, China and Iran’s efforts to interfere in the elections. While Democrats criticized caution for the lack of detail, officials promised more information.
While the misinformation efforts described Tuesday through U.S. officials focused on the pandemic, security researchers said Russia continued to provide incorrect information on a number of issues.
The government’s accusations came when Mandiant Threat Intelligence, a component of cybersecurity firm FireEye, reported detecting a parallel-influenced crusade in Eastern Europe aimed at discrediting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, adding incorrect information about the coronavirus. Although Mandiant’s report does not call Russia and its intelligence agencies in component, he noted that the crusade “aligned itself with Russian security interests” in an effort to undermine NATO’s activities.
Facebook has started tagging stories that appear on state-sponsored news sites like RT and Sputnik. But it’s harder for social media corporations to identify and tag news articles posted on conspiracy sites, experts tell.
Many of the exhibits created through The Russian intelligence facility were posted on InfoRos, an online page controlled by the Russian government, and OneWorld.Press, a nominally independent online page that, according to US officials, had links to the G.R.U. U.S. officials said other sites, such as GlobalResearch.ca, boosted G.R.U. officials did not directly link him to Russian intelligence.
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