4 ms·

Data research to Russia's misinformation website network

18 points by miohtama 3y ago

wslh 3y ago
Beyond the specific opinion about Russia geopolitics it is important to highlight that intelligence agencies around the world also work on misinformation activities. Catching Russia on this is just interesting OSINT information.
- keikobadthebad 3y ago
  Whataboutism doesn't change the negative consequences of distortions from those on the receiving end of enemy information operations.
  - throwaway743 3y ago
    "Whataboutism" is a nonsense term used to lazily wholly dismiss any counter points. Not only that, but they were just trying to reframe it to be more objective in perspective than singling out a single state actor's actions to fit whatever presented narrative.
  - wslh 3y ago
    It is called cherry picking. People read a news and their/our (limited) focus make the brain to not see the woods from the trees where we need to spend our limited focus to gather more information about the misinformation situation in general. Again, this is not a Russia endorsement but, for example, it seems that the world is turned off in conflicts such as the war between Israel and Hamas where the focus is extremely narrow.
    - dkjaudyeqooe 3y ago
      It's false equivalence. The scale, targeting and intent of what Russia is doing versus some US agency are not comparable.
- miohtama 3y ago
  Wikipedia has some good coverage on the recent misinformation campaigns about Gaza situation https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misinformation_in_the_Israel%E2%80%93Hamas_war https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misinformation_in_the_Israel...
  - hereme888 3y ago
    [flagged]
  - wslh 3y ago
    [flagged]
    - talldayo 3y ago
      > This is the case where you need to be in the field > Hamas is a serial liar without independent media while Israel has an independent media that search throughfully This feels like an unnecessary statement intended to gatekeep meaningful journalism. We know that Gazans and Israelites both by-and-large have political agendas to push in the area; and you're suggesting we ignore one in lieu of another? Both sides need to be taken with a hearty grain of salt, and the citizen journalism that both sides attempt to suppress cannot be discounted. Simply stating that a list of information is unreliable isn't an argument against an identified pattern, either. The journalists "in the field" are being decimated right now, and I wouldn't trust the think tanks in Tel Aviv to furnish a superior explanation.
      - wslh 3y ago
        No, I am suggesting to check the record of one against another. Hamas is a terrorist group that used to harm Palestines for their own purposes. Apples vs. oranges. Not forget that they violated women while feminist groups around the world have a big blind spot. This situation makes you think about the state of the humankind. Seems like many others who have not skin in the game also follow their own agendas posing as human rights defenders.
        3y ago
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- avodonosov 3y ago
  Not exactly "catched" Russia. The research presents a set of websites, which "have similar content, rank for the same search terms (which hint at a pro-Russian narrative), and link and quote each other". That's all. It's then assumed that Russia is behind these sites and drives them somehow, directly or as "useful idiots". The conclusion suggests "Experts and EU states should monitor the activities of such sites, and readers should question such content".
  - mistermann 3y ago
    > Not exactly "catched" Russia. It seems fairly obvious that's the goal of this cleverly written piece, and rarely does anyone notice it is mostly persuasion rather than factual information.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
mistermann 3y ago
That even smart people fall so easily for this sort of propaganda (the article itself, as opposed to its colorful just so stories) is a testament to how bad things are in the West.
mediumsmart 3y ago
[flagged]
dns_snek 3y ago
We would all be better served by identifying propaganda and misinformation being spread by our own governments since it affects our lives much more directly and we might actually be able to do something about it.

18 points by miohtama 3y ago

wslh 3y ago

Beyond the specific opinion about Russia geopolitics it is important to highlight that intelligence agencies around the world also work on misinformation activities. Catching Russia on this is just interesting OSINT information.

keikobadthebad 3y ago
Whataboutism doesn't change the negative consequences of distortions from those on the receiving end of enemy information operations.
- throwaway743 3y ago
  "Whataboutism" is a nonsense term used to lazily wholly dismiss any counter points. Not only that, but they were just trying to reframe it to be more objective in perspective than singling out a single state actor's actions to fit whatever presented narrative.
- wslh 3y ago
  It is called cherry picking. People read a news and their/our (limited) focus make the brain to not see the woods from the trees where we need to spend our limited focus to gather more information about the misinformation situation in general. Again, this is not a Russia endorsement but, for example, it seems that the world is turned off in conflicts such as the war between Israel and Hamas where the focus is extremely narrow.
  - dkjaudyeqooe 3y ago
    It's false equivalence. The scale, targeting and intent of what Russia is doing versus some US agency are not comparable.
miohtama 3y ago
Wikipedia has some good coverage on the recent misinformation campaigns about Gaza situation https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misinformation_in_the_Israel%E2%80%93Hamas_war https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misinformation_in_the_Israel...
- hereme888 3y ago
  [flagged]
- wslh 3y ago
  [flagged]
  - talldayo 3y ago
    > This is the case where you need to be in the field > Hamas is a serial liar without independent media while Israel has an independent media that search throughfully This feels like an unnecessary statement intended to gatekeep meaningful journalism. We know that Gazans and Israelites both by-and-large have political agendas to push in the area; and you're suggesting we ignore one in lieu of another? Both sides need to be taken with a hearty grain of salt, and the citizen journalism that both sides attempt to suppress cannot be discounted. Simply stating that a list of information is unreliable isn't an argument against an identified pattern, either. The journalists "in the field" are being decimated right now, and I wouldn't trust the think tanks in Tel Aviv to furnish a superior explanation.
    - wslh 3y ago
      No, I am suggesting to check the record of one against another. Hamas is a terrorist group that used to harm Palestines for their own purposes. Apples vs. oranges. Not forget that they violated women while feminist groups around the world have a big blind spot. This situation makes you think about the state of the humankind. Seems like many others who have not skin in the game also follow their own agendas posing as human rights defenders.
      - 3y ago
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
avodonosov 3y ago
Not exactly "catched" Russia. The research presents a set of websites, which "have similar content, rank for the same search terms (which hint at a pro-Russian narrative), and link and quote each other". That's all. It's then assumed that Russia is behind these sites and drives them somehow, directly or as "useful idiots". The conclusion suggests "Experts and EU states should monitor the activities of such sites, and readers should question such content".
- mistermann 3y ago
  > Not exactly "catched" Russia. It seems fairly obvious that's the goal of this cleverly written piece, and rarely does anyone notice it is mostly persuasion rather than factual information.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

mistermann 3y ago

That even smart people fall so easily for this sort of propaganda (the article itself, as opposed to its colorful just so stories) is a testament to how bad things are in the West.

mediumsmart 3y ago

[flagged]

dns_snek 3y ago

We would all be better served by identifying propaganda and misinformation being spread by our own governments since it affects our lives much more directly and we might actually be able to do something about it.