Study Reveals Pro-Kremlin Trolls Targeted 32 Media Outlets in 16 Countries
According to experts from the Crime and Security Research Institute at Cardiff University in Wales, UK, Russian trolls have once again been implicated in propaganda operations through Western media outlets.
The study found that these actors infiltrated the comment sections of major news websites, attempting to influence the opinions of other users. The main operation targeted 32 online media outlets across 16 countries, including the Daily Mail, Daily Express, The Times, Fox News, and The Washington Post. Other affected outlets included France’s Le Figaro, Germany’s Der Spiegel and Die Welt, and Italy’s La Stampa. The comment sections of these sites were reportedly flooded by pro-Kremlin trolls seeking to manipulate public opinion.
The research team identified 242 stories where provocative pro-Russian or anti-Western statements were posted in response to news related to Russia. According to the researchers, these comments were then picked up by several Russian-language media outlets, which used them as the basis for their own publications. These articles often emphasized supposed Western support for Kremlin policies or dissatisfaction with Western governments, using the number of “likes” on propaganda posts as evidence.
For example, the Russian state media portal “InoSMI,” part of the “Russia Today” media holding, published an article with a headline quoting a comment from a Times article. The opinion was presented as representative of all British society: “Britons: Putin Realized NATO Won’t Fight for Ukraine (The Times).” Such publications were then spread on social media and various websites, including those linked to Russian intelligence services, according to the report’s authors.
Although some of the “propaganda” comments on social media appeared to be from Western users, researchers found evidence in their profiles suggesting they were part of a coordinated disinformation campaign. The study also revealed that some of these users frequently changed their names and locations. This type of propaganda activity has intensified since 2018, with recent troll campaigns focusing on the withdrawal of US and UK troops from Afghanistan.
Exploiting Vulnerabilities in Online Comment Sections
Martin Innes, Director of the Crime and Security Research Institute at Cardiff University, emphasized how easy it is to create an account and quickly start posting comments on some sites without any identity verification. He believes this vulnerability can be exploited not only by individual politicians but by anyone seeking to manipulate public opinion.
Innes noted that from 2014 to 2018, Russian propaganda was mainly spread through social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit. However, as social media platforms improved their security and introduced anti-disinformation measures, pro-Kremlin troll activity shifted to commenting on media publications.
The study found that one account changed its location 69 times and its name 549 times since its creation in June of the previous year. Some media websites allow readers to vote on comments, and researchers observed that pro-Kremlin comments received an unexpectedly high number of upvotes.
Russia has consistently denied involvement in propaganda and disinformation operations.