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Russia Reportedly Used Pokemon Go In an Effort To Inflame Racial Tensions (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the stoke-the-fire dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: Russia's far-ranging campaign to promote dissension in the United States reportedly included an effort to weaponize Pokemon Go. CNN reported that in July 2016, a Tumblr page linked to Russia's now-notorious Internet Research Agency promoted a contest encouraging people sympathetic to the Black Lives Matter movement to play the game near famous sites of police brutality. Players were told to change their characters' names to the victims of those incidents -- an apparent effort to inflame racial tensions. The Tumblr page was linked to Do Not Shoot Us, a multi-platform campaign designed to mimic aspects of Black Lives Matter. (As CNN notes, the name plays on "hands up, don't shoot," one of the movement's slogans.) Do Not Shoot Us included a website, donotshoot.us, along with related pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. The Facebook page was one of 470 pages that were removed after the company determined that it was linked to Russian groups attempting to interfere in US politics.

24 of 211 comments (clear)

  1. The strategy is obvious by zzyzx · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's less trying to promote one side or the other than a case of Let's You and Him Fight where they just try to get everyone so mad at each other than the US has trouble governing. Trolls are less about converting people (although it's great if they can) and more about making the other side think their views are so insane that they can't be reasoned with. It's all an attempt to get us into increasingly frustrated self selected bubbles and it does seem to be working. ...but maybe I'm just bitter because the Russians didn't offer me a Lapras for helping them. I mean if you're going to use Pokemon Go, use it!

    1. Re: The strategy is obvious by OzPeter · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Trust me... It didn't take the Russians to be divisive, condescending, smug, and insulting.

      Liberal America did a great job of that without any prompting.

      The irony in your post is almost palpable.

      --
      I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
    2. Re:The strategy is obvious by zzyzx · · Score: 2

      I don't know of anyone who thinks we'd be holding hands and loving each other sans the bots. This is an existing problem otherwise they'd have nothing to work with. However, there is evidence for them existing (since they've traced the activity back to Russia) so denying that this is happening at all is equally naive.

    3. Re: The strategy is obvious by OzPeter · · Score: 2, Funny

      Trust me... It didn't take the Russians to be divisive, condescending, smug, and insulting.

      Liberal America did a great job of that without any prompting.

      The irony in your post is almost palpable.

      Please show us a conservative campaign that the Russians exploited for purposes of divisiveness. Your response is telling, utter refusal to acknowledge reality.

      So you're doubling down with a Red Herring and a dash of Reductio Ad Absurdum? No surprise there.

      --
      I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
    4. Re:The strategy is obvious by sittingnut · · Score: 3, Insightful

      there is evidence ... (since they've traced the activity back to Russia)

      in fact, there is no independently verifiable evidence.
      establishment authorities are making claims there is evidence and links, but no concrete details that can be checked independently.
      and even these claims are not of original accusations of facilitating trump win, "hacking" the election, etc, but of spending less than 0.01% of online (loosely defined) political ads( and much less of all ads), by "russia linked" "entities" (without much details about them and their alleged links).

      does russia's interests oppose usa's? yes.
      does russia want a weak usa ? yes.
      is russia trying to get its way v.s usa, even using covert and criminal activity? yes.
      all that is true (not just of russia but plenty of others) for a long time.

      but current narrative is not about such obvious things. it is a blatant attempt at renouncing responsibility for american evils and failures, and attempt to deny incompatibility of reality prevailing in usa, with agendas and ideology of establishment( whether it be sharing economic benefits and pains, justifications and sacrifices for permanent wars, free trade, unregulated immigration, etc etc ).
      by blaming russians for events arising from that reality( such as election of trump), you delegitimize that real opposition to establishment ideology and agendas.

    5. Re:The strategy is obvious by WaffleMonster · · Score: 2

      I don't doubt that people on the left also fall for this sort of thing now and again too, by the way. I'm not partisan on this, I'm just against this kind of state level subversion of western societies.

      When I hear someone crying about Russian influence I'm lead to wonder what the same people think of AIPAC and associated organized sophisticated Israeli propaganda campaigns in this country. Do they find them equally outrageous?

      Is the outrage sourced from the concept of subversion/interference or is it based mostly on the content of the message? e.g. I don't like what your doing so I'll use foreign aspect to justify and amplify my displeasure...

      Of course the flip side is I am indifferent to or support what your doing so I'm willing to completely ignore foreign aspects of your influence campaign.

      I'm not offering an opinion on the underlying "Russia" issue yet I strongly suspect a lot of what ticks people off about Russia is in fact the underlying message not foreign subversion.

      Look at how often BLM are labelled terrorists right here.

      Well see there is actually.. uh... tape of BLM protesters saying and doing the nicest things. "What do we want?" ... many lovely answers to that question can be found with 10 seconds of your time on YouTube and be seen and heard with your own eyes. It can't ALL be explained away by foreign intervention and associated propaganda. At least some of it is earned.

    6. Re:The strategy is obvious by tinkerton · · Score: 2

      This should not be modded troll. It actually addresses a crucial question: where's the meat? When an authoritative report supports a claim one should think twice. But that is also what good journalists should do: challenge the report. They do it, mostly outside of the mainstream, sometimes in it. And the report is very weak and does not represent the intelligence community to the extent it claims. One recent analysis is from Scott Ritter: https://consortiumnews.com/201... .

      So one can say the FBI, CIA, NSA are not really 'in' but the chiefs of FBI and CIA are. The(now former) DNI predictably is , that's James Clapper. NSA chief is not in. NSA assessment listed in the report is 'moderate'. That means 'it's possible'. And they're the experts. So they're being polite. Coincidentally Clapper has asked for replacement of the NSA chief.

      I'm uncomfortable with the designation 'conspiracy theory'. I would call it a negotiated position. A lot of people want to get rid of Trump, and some of them for very good reasons. Russiagate is the solution that's offered (originally by the Clinton team). What do you do? Go for truth?
      I'd go for truth for multiple reasons. One reason is that I think concern for truth has dropped to dangerously low levels. And another is that I think the offer of Russiagate is a bad deal. It satisfies the hawks, and it may even lead to the warmongers leading with Trump still in place.

      Now one still can judge a story like the Pokemon one independently. This one appears to be built on nothing but it's written because Russiagate leads and it becomes big news because the headline specialists need to beef it up a bit to make it sell. Because everyone just reads headlines there's a constant feeling of 'my god it's even worse than we thought'.

  2. When will the left ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ... Realize that the MSM(ratings), politicians(votes) and external forces(espionage) are at place to cause anger? The common American goes about their day, trying to earn enough to provide for their loved ones. But the left is eating up anything and everything divisive, projecting all kinds of ill will towards anyone who has a differing opinion - SO MUCH SO, that a person who should not be the president of the US, IS the president of the US, because there was no other choice.

    And what has happened since the US election? The left has double downed on portraying any and all who don't think exactly as they do, as misogynists(oh the irony there) and racists(check out the founding and core of the Democratic party for the TRUE racists.

    Pushing people so far will yield someone who is not afraid to push back, and that was who was elected - the only person is not afraid to push back against all the crap that is constantly slung against the right.

    Keep on looking down your nose at fly over country, and this will NOT get any better. In fact, it will get MUCH worse.

    *Please done take this as the right is perfect, because I am greatly saddened that Trump can't act like an adult. He had the perfect opportunity, and has done nothing but blow it.

    1. Re:When will the left ... by quantaman · · Score: 2

      ... Realize that the MSM(ratings), politicians(votes) and external forces(espionage) are at place to cause anger? The common American goes about their day, trying to earn enough to provide for their loved ones. But the left is eating up anything and everything divisive, projecting all kinds of ill will towards anyone who has a differing opinion

      You do remember the years of insisting that the first black president was not American and was a secret Muslim? The insane conspiracy theories claiming that illegal immigrants were voting and stealing elections. Claims that scientists were part of some bizarre global warming conspiracy? Treating gay and transgendered people like second class citizens.

      These aren't fringe ideas from the right. These are right in the main-stream of the Republican party.

      SO MUCH SO, that a person who should not be the president of the US, IS the president of the US, because there was no other choice.

      On the Republican side, no, there wasn't a lot of choice. The sad reality of GOP primary was that their best realistic choice might have been Jeb Bush.

      The runner up (Ted Cruz) almost drove the US into bankruptcy as a PR stunt.

      Clinton wasn't a great candidate, but she wasn't that bad either. The underlying flaws for which she was vilified (special rules because she's the boss) are pretty much standard practice for politicians. It's disappointing she wasn't better but she wasn't an outlier, the GOP just realized that if they just keep repeating that something is inexcusable that a certain percentage of the public will believe them.

      And what has happened since the US election? The left has double downed on portraying any and all who don't think exactly as they do, as misogynists(oh the irony there) and racists(check out the founding and core of the Democratic party for the TRUE racists.

      Pushing people so far will yield someone who is not afraid to push back, and that was who was elected - the only person is not afraid to push back against all the crap that is constantly slung against the right.

      Keep on looking down your nose at fly over country, and this will NOT get any better. In fact, it will get MUCH worse.

      I'm sorry that powerful men will insist you grant them sexual favours if you want to succeed in your career.... oh sorry that's women.

      I'm sorry that you're subject to constant police harassment and no one seems to give a damn... oh sorry that's black people.

      I'm sorry that your feelings are mildly hurt now that people are finally calling you out on some of your BS.

      *Please done take this as the right is perfect, because I am greatly saddened that Trump can't act like an adult. He had the perfect opportunity, and has done nothing but blow it.

      You were bound to be disappointed. The GOP has a better alternative to Obamacare, massive tax cuts for the rich will reduce the deficit, banning Muslims will eliminate terrorism, the Iranian nuclear deal was a bad deal, etc, etc.

      These are all thing the GOP elites sold to their base to win elections but generally didn't believe themselves. This irritated the base since the policy didn't match the rhetoric.

      Trump won the primary because he actually did believe the the lies, so his policies did match his rhetoric.

      That's why you were bound to be disappointed, because someone so incompetent that they can't see the con even while they're a candidate is someone too incompetent to govern.

      --
      I stole this Sig
  3. Russia points out racial issues in the US... by YoungManKlaus · · Score: 2

    ... so must be trying to destroy the American way of Life clearly! /s

  4. anyone still believe this Peak Bullshit? by Uberbah · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If so you should send me your money before some Nigerian prince steals it from you. The story went from Russia hacking servers and emails, to Russia colluding with Trump, and now we're down to talking about Pokemon and Facebook ads. But Russiagaters have to keep talking about this - if they stop, they'd have to admit they were a million megatons of bullshit crammed into a five pound sack.

    https://consortiumnews.com/201...

    1. Re:anyone still believe this Peak Bullshit? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Informative

      Actually the evidence is mounting. This article has a good summary with plenty of links: https://www.theguardian.com/us...

      I find this report by the Director of National Intelligence particularly interesting: https://www.dni.gov/files/docu...

      We also assess Putin and the Russian Government aspired to help President-elect Trumpâ(TM)s election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him.All three agencies agree with this judgment. CIA and FBI have high confidence in this judgment;NSA has moderate confidence.

      Moscowâ(TM)s influence campaign followed a Russian messaging strategy that blends covert intelligence operationsâ"such as cyber activityâ"with overt efforts by Russian Government agencies, state-funded media, third-party intermediaries, and paid socialmedia users or âoetrolls.â

      The extent to which Trump was involved in this has yet to be determined. The investigation is on-going. It seems that some of his staff did meet with people working for the Russian government and communicated with them in other ways, but to be fair that in itself isn't proof of actual collusion. Trump and his team may well be victims of Russian government manipulation too. It certainly undermines his victory.

      We don't know the full extent of this for some time, and even then the way Trump has interfered with the investigation means that any conclusions are unlikely to be accepted now.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  5. In Post-Soviet Russia... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Pokemon Go plays YOU!

  6. But they haven't by Uberbah · · Score: 2

    Russia has done in the U.S.

    Russia hasn't done shit. Bush's mistake back in 2003 was in trying to provide evidence (all of which was fake) that Saddam planned 911 and was pursuing nuclear weapons. If he only knew he could have skipped that whole sending Powell to the UN and providing satellite photos, and just told a tall tale with no evidence whatsoever. Because people would eat it up with a spoon.

  7. Who you talking "left", Kemosabe? by Uberbah · · Score: 2

    It's right wing Democrats who keep fucking the Russian chicken, though they've been reduced to talking about Pokemon and Russian internet ads (many of which came AFTER the election, and one of which was for a documentary attacking a Trump golf course). They clutch onto that raft so they don't have to admit they nominated an even worse candidate than Trump to run for the presidency.

    And before the Russian chicken came a long, right-wing Democrats were fucking the "white male privilege" chicken with abandon, ever since Obama clinched the primary in 2008. Because right-wing Democrats are just as happy as right-wing Republicans to keep people divided on race when they should be uniting on class.

  8. Re:dang by PPH · · Score: 2

    Seriously this.

    The saddest day in boardrooms of the major military-industrial suppliers was when the Eastern Bloc collapsed. They knew that the evil USSR was their primary justification for increased budgets and profits. I wouldn't be surprised if they negotiated with Soviet generals. 'We build a supersonic bomber and you can go to your committee and fund a supersonic interceptor. More jobs for everyone!'

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  9. You want to use cashiers check or PayPal... by Uberbah · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ...to send me your life savings?

    Actually the hysteria is mounting.

    Fixed that for you.

    The Russian's hacked power plants storyline was bullshit.
    CrowdStrike is bullshit.
    The "17 intelligence agencies" line was bullshit.
    The Russia hacked election systems is bullshit.

    find this report by the Director of National Intelligence particularly interesting

    Sure, lets look at this - while remembering the FBI wasn't allowed to examine the DNC servers so how exactly would they have "high confidence" in any thing - but this time noting the weasel words:

    We also assess Putin and the Russian Government aspired to help President-elect Trump's election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him. All three agencies agree with this judgment. CIA and FBI have high confidence in this judgment; NSA has moderate confidence.

    Zero evidence provided, only claims and accusations. Well guess what Chem Trailers, Sandy Hook Truthers and Birthers have? Claims and accusations.

    Then there's the fact the entire "Russia wanted Trump to win so hacked the election" makes no sense whatsoever. The election was Hillary's to lose, right up until she picked Tim Kaine as her running mate and decided to skip campaigning in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan. So according to the storyline, Putin was crafty enough to dig up dirt on Hillary (which was all true) but dumb enough to collude with someone as dumb as Trump. Which means the CIA, NSA & FBI would know all about it. Which meant Hillary would too, who had already campaigned on shooting down Russian jets in Syria. So what's really going on?

    The entire "Russian hacking" storyline is nothing but Swiftboating from Clinton supporters, as she was the candidate who engaged in corrupt collusion with Russian interests to sell a fifth of America's uranium.

    And you can skip that Snopes link that handwaives away Hillary's culpability for a number of reasons:
    1) Access is corruption
    2) Avoiding the appearance of impropriety applies to politicians, not just judges
    3) Her own campaign was warned internally that the deal was a political liability for her
    4) Hillary flat-out broke her confirmation promises on keeping a wall between the State Department and the Clinton Foundation

    At this point, Chem Trailing anti-vaxxer Birther Sandy Hook Truthers have more respectability than Russiagaters.

    1. Re:You want to use cashiers check or PayPal... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What does the DNC emails have to do with Russian inference? Your entire argument seems to be that because you found some fake thing everything else no matter how unrelated must also be fake.

      This seems to be a standard tactic of alternative fact peddlers. CNN made a mistake once, therefore everything they ever reported is fake news.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:You want to use cashiers check or PayPal... by Uberbah · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What does the DNC emails have to do with Russian inference?

      Are you....kidding? It's only the foundation for for the accusations that Russia tried to interfere with the election. No big whoop.

      Your entire argument seems to be that because you found everything to be fake everything else no matter how unrelated must also be fake.

      FTFY2.

      This seems to be a standard tactic of alternative fact peddlers. CNN made a mistake once, therefore everything they ever reported is fake news.

      Your projection is noted - Russiagate is the definition of fake news.

      Don't like that? Then come up with more evidence than what Birthers, Chem Trailers and Sandy Hook Truthers do to support their theories. Or admit you've turned into that cranky Uncle Bob on Facebook who insists to this day that Obama really was a Kenyan-born Muslim with a fake birth certificate.

      Eh.

      Veh.

      Dence.

    3. Re:You want to use cashiers check or PayPal... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 3, Funny

      The foundation of the accusations about Russian interference are the FBI, CIA and NSA investigations of their activity on social media, funding and meeting with American citizens. It's all in that report, why don't you read it?

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    4. Re:You want to use cashiers check or PayPal... by Uberbah · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The foundation of the accusations about Russian interference are the FBI, CIA and NSA investigations of their activity on social media, funding and meeting with American citizens.

      No. It's not. Not even remotely close. Whining about Social Media ads - many of which were placed after the election last November and someone of which involved cute pictures of cats or criticizing a Trump golf course in Scotland - is the last pathetic attempt of partisan hacks desperate to keep their edition of the Whtiewater/Vince Foster witch hunts going. Or didn't you notice the steady moving of the goalposts - from DNC hacking to collusion to $100,000 in ads (many of which were place after the election) in a race where Hillary spent $1.2 biiiiiiiillion dollars?

      It's all in that report, why don't you read it?

      You mean a report completely lacking in the aforementioned Eh Veh Dence from the same professional liars who sold you on Saddam plotting 911, who spy on Congress while perjuring themselves before Congress?

      Did you read the link noting that all this hyperventilation is over drops in an ocean?

      Say hi to Uncle Bob for me, as you've turned into a Birther: someone who skates right on by legitimate reasons to oppose a political opponent in favor of engaging in theories so bizarre they wouldn't make it onto Info Wars.

      And all so that the corporate Democrats that brought you Trump can make the conversation about Russia and not their epic fail, so they can maintain control and direction over the party. Might as take one of Uncle Bob's "4 more years!" sign and put it on your lawn. Right now.

    5. Re:You want to use cashiers check or PayPal... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      Yeah okay, they are all liars, blah blah. Do you have any actual evidence though? I mean, in the case of Iraq there was strong evidence even at the time that it was bullshit, but here there appears to be zero.

      I mean, if there was any evidence then why hasn't Trump done anything with it? Why doesn't he fire the people behind this conspiracy against him, or start an investigation into it as he threatened to do with Hilary?

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  10. Glut by JBMcB · · Score: 2

    Wouldn't a more effective long-term method of undermining Russia's economy be to spread renewables? Yeah, we can temporarily undermine them with a glut, but we would be ultimately creating a disincentive to actual energy independence.

    Yes, but that's the point. 20-30 years out Europe will still be heavily dependent on natural gas. It needs time to get their power grid ready for a more distributed method of power generation. People will also need to retrofit gas burning heaters and utilities with electric.

    We can spin up natural gas production pretty quickly. The only major hurdle is building more LNG plants to ship the stuff.

    --
    My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
  11. Re:Peak Wingnut Projection by Noble713 · · Score: 2

    I'm a leftist, dumbass. The DNC organization can go die in a fire. They're right wing hacks like yourself - and I hear they have a position open for an IT worker. You have so much in common!

    Speaking of which.....has anyone else noticed there hasn't been a SINGLE article on Slashdot about Imran Awan and his shenanigans as a Congressional IT staffer for some major Democrats? Is it just political bias amongst the /. editorial staff? BeauHD bends over backwards to bring us every negative thing about Trump while skipping over this equally-interesting (from the perspective of IT practices, opsec, and crime) story affecting the opposite party.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com...
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/f...
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/f...