A Russian internet propaganda campaign supported by the Kremlin has been disrupted by the Justice Department, with the seizure of nearly 1,000 fake social media accounts. The operation aimed to spread disinformation in the United States through the use of artificial intelligence.
Officials revealed that the scheme, orchestrated in 2022 by a senior editor at RT, a Russian-state funded media organization, had the backing of the Kremlin. An officer of Russia's Federal Security Service led a private intelligence organization that promoted disinformation through social media.
The disruption of the social media bot farm is part of ongoing efforts to sow discord in the U.S. by creating fictitious social media profiles that appeared to be legitimate users but were actually serving the interests of the Russian government. The operation included spreading disinformation about Russia's conflict with Ukraine.
The FBI Director, Christopher Wray, emphasized the significance of the disruption, stating that it is the first time a Russian-sponsored Generative AI-enhanced social media bot farm has been thwarted. The intent behind the bot farm was to disseminate AI-generated foreign disinformation to undermine Ukraine and shape geopolitical narratives favorable to Russia.
One of the fake posts identified by the Justice Department was a video purportedly showing Russian President Vladimir Putin claiming that certain territories in Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania were 'gifts' from liberating Russian forces during World War II.
In response to the operation, the Justice Department seized two domain names and 968 accounts on X, a social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The FBI collaborated with the Cyber National Mission Force, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, and law enforcement in the Netherlands to issue a joint cybersecurity advisory regarding the social media bot farm.
