US blocks dozens of fake media with Russian propaganda: Masked as Reuters and WP
Photo: US blocks dozens of fake media with Russian propaganda (Getty Images)
The US blocks dozens of propaganda media. Russia masked fake websites as popular American and European resources, according to the US Department of Justice.
The Department of Justice announced the seizure of 32 internet domains used in foreign campaigns of malicious influence managed by the Russian government.
According to the statement, Russian companies Social Design Agency (SDA), Structura National Technology (Structura), and ANO Dialog, operating under the direction and control of Russian President Vladimir Putin, used these domains, among other things, for:
- Secretly spreading Russian government propaganda to diminish international support for Ukraine,
- Supporting pro-Russian policies and interests,
- Influencing voters in the US and abroad, including the US presidential elections in 2024.
In connection with the domain seizure, the US Department of the Treasury announced the inclusion of 10 individuals and two organizations in a coordinated response to Russia's attempts at malicious influence on the 2024 US presidential election.
"The Department’s seizure of 32 internet domains secretly deployed to spread foreign malign influence demonstrates once again that Russia remains a predominant foreign threat to our elections, said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.
According to the Department of Justice, the propaganda deliberately concealed the Russian government or its agents as the source of content. The perpetrators specifically forged domains. For example, Russians altered washingtonpost.pm to washingtonpost.com to publish Russian government messages falsely presented as content from legitimate news organizations.
Among other fake sites were clones of media outlets such as Reuters, Der Spiegel, Bild, Le Monde, and others. According to the US Department of Justice, in addition to fake websites, social media pages mimicking popular news outlets were also used to promote propaganda content.
In other cases, the perpetrators attempted to create their own unique media brands to promote their content.
As reported yesterday by RBC-Ukraine, the Biden administration plans to accuse Russia of ongoing attempts to influence US elections.
Preliminary information indicates that the Kremlin uses media and online platforms for this purpose.
