Janice R. Andrews
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged two workers of the Russian state-owned broadcaster RT with taking part in a social media operation to spread pro-Russian propaganda. This is a big step forward in the fight against foreign meddling. The DOJ has also taken down 32 websites that spread fake news as part of its larger plan to stop Russian propaganda.
The Plan Found Out
Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, both workers for RT, are accused of planning a nearly $10 million scheme to use social media to change people’s minds. The DOJ says that the two of them told a company in Tennessee to spread almost 2,000 videos, most of which were propaganda or supported Russian interests. These movies were shared on famous sites like TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). On YouTube alone, they got more than 16 million views.
In a news meeting, Attorney General Merrick Garland stressed how serious the accusations were and linked them to Russia’s larger plan to spread false information after its invasion of Ukraine. “RT’s editor-in-chief said the company had built a ‘entire empire of covert projects’ designed to shape public opinion in Western audiences,” Garland said. He also said that the plan was meant to “amplify U.S. domestic divisions” so that the country would be less likely to stand up to Russian interests, especially when it comes to the war in Ukraine.
How social media influencers play a part
U.S.-based social media stars were recruited without knowing it to share the material, which was a key part of the plan. The DOJ says that the influencers were not told about the link to Russia. The Tennessee-based business said it had money from a fake “private investor,” which kept the operation going without the influencers or their fans finding out.
The influence operation was made to appeal to American viewers, and it used the power of social media to shape stories that fit the Kremlin’s goals. Influencers make it possible to secretly reach millions of people, which shows how complicated modern misinformation campaigns are.
Charges in court and an ongoing investigation
Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva are being charged with planning to break the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and hide money. The charges show that the DOJ is serious about stopping foreign meddling in U.S. politics. However, both people are still on the run, and the probe is still going on.
Attorney General Garland made it clear that the charges are only one part of the government’s larger plan to fight Russian misinformation and false information. The charge is also a warning of how hard it is to stop foreign influence campaigns, especially since the U.S. general election is coming up in November.
Taking Down Sites With Fake News
The DOJ also took down 32 websites that were reportedly part of a Russian operation called “Doppelganger.” This was a different but related case. These websites were made to look like big U.S. news outlets like Fox News and The Washington Post. However, these fake websites were full of Russian government lies meant to hurt support for Ukraine around the world and change people’s minds in the US and other places.
Garland said that the Doppelganger strategy was a smart way to trick people by making websites that looked like reliable news sources. This strategy shows how foreign players are changing the ways they spread false information, going beyond social media to build whole platforms that they can use to trick people.
More actions by the government
The DOJ’s moves are part of a coordinated reaction by several government departments. The Russian charity ANO Dialog is accused of running the Doppelganger operation, so the Treasury Department has put sanctions on it. Margarita Simonyan, who is the editor-in-chief of RT, and other RT workers were also punished. As part of its attempts to stop foreign meddling in American elections, the State Department also put sanctions on RT and four other publishers that get money from the government.
The State Department is also giving a $10 million prize for information about foreign meddling in U.S. elections. This is another sign of how seriously the government is taking the problem.
Wishing You the Best
As the investigation goes on, more information may come to light about how big Russia’s efforts to control the U.S. media are. CNN reported after the first arrest that the Tennessee-based company Tenet Media, which is known for hiring far-right commentators, was linked to the disinformation operation. There has been no public confirmation from the government about this story, though.
The DOJ’s moves are a big step toward holding foreigners responsible when they try to change the minds of Americans. As long as social media sites are used to spread false information, the fight against foreign control is likely to get tougher, especially as the country gets ready for important elections.
