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U.S. Says It Disrupted Russian Effort To Spread Disinformation With Fake Social Media Accounts


U.S. authorities said Russia's RT News network developed a "bot farm," which was used to spread disinformation. (file photo)
U.S. authorities said Russia's RT News network developed a "bot farm," which was used to spread disinformation. (file photo)

The U.S. Justice Department says it disrupted a Kremlin-led operation to use fake social media profiles enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI) to spread Russian disinformation. It said a “social media bot farm” used elements of AI to create fake social media profiles, “which the operators then used to promote messages in support of Russian government objectives.” The statement said RT, the TV network formerly known as Russia Today, developed the bot farm, which the Federal Security Service operated to “sow discord” in the United States and elsewhere. U.S. authorities worked with their counterparts in Canada and the Netherlands in the action, it said.

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