Russian Propaganda Machine Busted In PA: Feds

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Russian government used social media influencers, artificial intelligence, and various paid social media advertisements as part of a massive effort to push propaganda favoring Russia and to undermine the coming presidential election, federal authorities in Pennsylvania announced this week.

FBI agents based in Philadelphia seized 32 internet domains used in the operation, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

No arrests have been announced, and authorities did not publicly tie these domains to specific geographical locations in Pennsylvania. However, physical servers in the local area were used, in addition to VPNs, to spread propaganda, officials said.

"Protecting our democratic processes from foreign malign influence is paramount to ensure enduring public trust," U.S. Attorney Jaqueline Romero said in a statement. "As America’s adversaries continue to spew propaganda and disinformation towards the American electorate, we’ll use every tool at our disposal to expose and dismantle their insidious foreign influence campaigns."

This latest disinformation effort, the largest bust of its kind in the lead up to the fall's general election, was aimed at reducing international support for Ukraine, bolstering other Russian policies and interests, undermining the global perception of America and its relations to other nations, and influencing voters in the coming election, according to federal authorities.

The operation relied on social media influencers with massive followings, who often agree to leverage their platform and audience access to sell products and opinions.

The operation also created influencers by building large audiences over long periods of time, often by posing as a fictitious individual who represents a "community of local activists" that support the party and politicians speaking out against Ukraine, according to documents obtained by the U.S. Justice Department.

Paid social media advertisements and content generated by artificial intelligence were also leveraged to similar ends, investigators said.

Links on these social media platforms often directed viewers to "cybersquatted" domains, or fake news sites closely mimicking the names and addresses of real news sites. One such cybersquatted domain was washingtonpost.pm, meant to trick individuals into thinking they were visiting the real washingtonpost.com.

Entirely propaganda sites, including one called "Recent Reliable News," were also created to push messaging, according to authorities.

The project was directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin's First Deputy Chief of Staff, Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko, officials said. He worked with companies called Social Design Agency (SDA), Structura National Technology, and ANO Dialog on the effort.

The U.S. Treasury Department identified and designated 10 individuals and two entities that they said were were part of the effort.

The FBI's field office in Philadelphia is continuing to investigate.