Russia Invades Internet With An Army Of Trolls

If you’ve noticed an unusual amount of pro-Russian commentators on your favorite websites recently you may have come across some well-organized, well paid agents working for Vladimir Putin. Buzzfeed has found evidence pointing to a comprehensive online campaign by the Kremlin to sway American Public opinion toward Russia.

The documents show instructions provided to the commentators that detail the workload expected of them. On an average working day, the Russians are to post on news articles 50 times. Each blogger is to maintain six Facebook accounts publishing at least three posts a day and discussing the news in groups at least twice a day. By the end of the first month, they are expected to have won 500 subscribers and get at least five posts on each item a day. On Twitter, the bloggers are expected to manage 10 accounts with up to 2,000 followers and tweet 50 times a day

Perhaps piggy backing on the rabid Obama hating and Snowden sympathizing already present online, websites such as The Blaze, World Net Daily and Politico have seen a surge in anti-American commentary from their readers. But instead of middle aged American bloggers sitting in their parent’s basements, some of these may be originating from professional internet trolls tapping their keyboard from all across Russia.

Several people who follow the Russian internet closely told BuzzFeed the Internet Research Energy is only one of several firms believed to be employing pro-Kremlin comment trolls. That has long been suspected based on the comments under articles about Russia on many other sites, such as Kremlin propaganda network RT’s wildly successful YouTube channel. The editor of The Guardian’s opinion page recently claimed that the site was the victim of an “orchestrated campaign.”

It is not yet known just how far-reaching this effort from the Kremlin is. However, it does appear to have cast a very wide web across the world. Also uncertain is whether or not the surprising sympathy Snowden and Putin have received in some quarters across the U.S. is a result of this propaganda program or merely a coincidence. Nevertheless, they are working in concert with each other proving to be some strange bedfellows indeed.

By: Mark Quincy Adams

A proud 'pragmatic progressive' Mark Quincy Adams has been a political
talk show host and prolific pontificator since 1992. Find him on Facebook and Twitter @politicalglutton