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Russian Trolls Tried -- and Failed -- To Push Divisive Content On Vaccines (fortune.com)
Russian trolls "seem to be using vaccination as a wedge issue, promoting discord in American society," according to a new study shared by long-time Slashdot reader skam240.
"The topic became another issue the Russian trolls seized upon to widen existing rifts in America and turn citizens against each other," reports NBC News.
But Fortune reports there's more to the story: While the latest study highlights how Russian outfits have increasingly used social media to toy with people's emotions to influence their behavior, it's also notable for the fact that most Twitter users appeared to have ignored its anti-vaccine messages... Outside of the Russian trolls, virtually no real Twitter users actually responded to the messages, said the paper's author David Broniatowski, an assistant professor in at George Washington University's School of Engineering and Applied Science. Generally, Russian trolls try to exploit controversial topics like religion, and race and class division, but "sometimes they get it hilariously wrong," he said.
Broniatowski attributed the campaign's failure to the content of the tweets, which included: "VaccinateUS mandatory #vaccines infringe on constitutionally protected religious freedoms;" "Did you know there was a secret government database of #vaccine-damaged children? #VaccinateUS;" and "Dont get #vaccines. Iluminati are behind it. #VaccinateUS." The messages were so far-fetched that even people who believe in conspiracy theories chose to ignore them.
But Fortune reports there's more to the story: While the latest study highlights how Russian outfits have increasingly used social media to toy with people's emotions to influence their behavior, it's also notable for the fact that most Twitter users appeared to have ignored its anti-vaccine messages... Outside of the Russian trolls, virtually no real Twitter users actually responded to the messages, said the paper's author David Broniatowski, an assistant professor in at George Washington University's School of Engineering and Applied Science. Generally, Russian trolls try to exploit controversial topics like religion, and race and class division, but "sometimes they get it hilariously wrong," he said.
Broniatowski attributed the campaign's failure to the content of the tweets, which included: "VaccinateUS mandatory #vaccines infringe on constitutionally protected religious freedoms;" "Did you know there was a secret government database of #vaccine-damaged children? #VaccinateUS;" and "Dont get #vaccines. Iluminati are behind it. #VaccinateUS." The messages were so far-fetched that even people who believe in conspiracy theories chose to ignore them.
"Outside of the Russian trolls, virtually no real Twitter users actually responded to the messages"
Not even the stupid McCarthy bitch, who has thousands of dead kids on her conscience?
...why did they remove the mercury from them after people started noticing and complaining? Comrade, think about it.
If you read Russia backwards it is Satan.
The main reason people were against vaccinations were not the vaccines themeselves, but rather the mercury compound thiomersal that was used as a preservative in them. The mercury exposure was claimed to cause autism in children. There were supposedly a bunch of scientific studies disproving this, but thiomersal was nevertheless eliminated from vaccines administered to children. It is still used in other vaccines that you might be getting as an adult. Yeah, Big Pharma says it is perfectly safe, but just go to its wikipedia article, read the toxicology section, and then decide for yourself whether this is something you want to be injected in your kids. In any case, I think you should definitely be aware of the issue and that it is wholly inappropriate to dismiss this issue as "denialism" by some "ignorant hicks".
If they were safe, why has everyone that was ever vaccinated died or is on the road to death within the next 100 years?
or Donald Trump ? He even states it more plainly than this.
It is clear that our commander-in-chief believes that vaccines causes autism. Despite any evidence. So I don't really worry too much about what some Russian bots are saying when we have real Americans spreading stupid theories.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
There's currently a measle outbreak in a dozen states because so many idiots think vaccines will kill their child.
Once again, the Russians are running circles around us.
(and hello to all the Brave Comrades reading Slashdot here! I hope you get an extra ration of vodka today.)
hookers and grits.
"Outside of the Russian trolls, virtually no real Twitter users actually responded to the messages"
An obvious response comes to mind.
Why not pick a political agenda (such as vaccination) and engineer a bot army that argues for the correct position?
Specifically in this case, why doesn't a group of 40-or-so people get together and agree to play the analogous "troll" position, build a couple of hundred bots, and sow complacency and agreement (instead of divisiveness)?
It sounds like bot trolling is an effective and disruptive way to sway many things - an election, regime satisfaction, and scientific belief.
Why doesn't someone use that technique for the purposes of good?
TFA>_ Russian outfits have increasingly used social media to toy with people's emotions to influence their behavior
They're not toying with people's emotions, they find cracks in American classes (arising from poor education in the first place) and use them to place wedges (inflammatory comments) and divide the country even further.
That is not very sophisticated from them and the guilt is partly upon the Americans themselves for failing to provide decent affordable education. It's funny how people from a failed ideology (socialism/communism) can still exploit flaws in capitalism.
Their methods are the classical FUD, applied to vaccination, Democrats (supposedly) ulterior motives, technology (space exploration/round world), etc etc
Only the stupid fall for it, but the problem is that success in America is measured by affluence, not by intellectual prowess. Given enough stupid voters one could even promote a stupid President and make him victorious.
People have a tendency of being proud of what they do even if it's dumb. Some Windows users are proud of not understanding computers -- imagine that!
the one thing I find the conspiracy theorists have in common seems to be a shared community. It doesn't matter how weird or nutty you are, if you believe then you're one of us and we'll put up with all your crazy shit. I see the same behavior in a lot of hobbies. Pipe clubs come to mind. I see the pattern a lot with Table top RPG players too. More controversially I see it with religions and gun lovers.
If anyone's wondering why so many folks believe this kind of clap-trap that's why. It lets people who are a little off (or more than a little off) come together and forget their differences.
Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
....whilst all cybersecurity experts laugh at the 'evidence' for what it is - garbage.
If you're gonna troll, you need to learn the English language gooder. It embiggens the effectiveness of your message.
don't freaking exist. Nor do they have the boogeyman style power you give them on a daily basis. Whoever wrote this article should kill themselves immediately and without hesitation.
And here I was thinking it was due to utter cluelessness in our own society. But noooo, all those idiots anti-vaccers, through no fault of their own, were just misled by zee eevil Russians!
Given their total mind control and inevitable world conquest, I think the only thing left for us defenseless sheeple is to just join the wave of the future and learn Russian. I mean, I have _some_ defense against them in the form of an adblocker, but how long can I hold out when they control my every move? Hell, even this very message is just more evidence of their all-powerful control. I don't actually want to write it, but my masters in the Kremlin have manipulated me so I have no other choice.
Pay no attention to the media behind the curtain.
107 cases across the whole U.S., vs over 40k in Europe.
I wonder where the Russians have really been targeting - and succeeding.
The U.S. has long been much more immune to ideological persuasion than elsewhere.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Before Trump: "Russia is no threat, it's only an excuse to increase military spending, calling people Commies is silly and paranoid McCarthy-ism"
After Trump: "Russia is an existential threat, their influence is everywhere! All must be investigated! Global warming is a Russian plot!"
Impersonating me again I see: Poor imitation & yet sincerest form of flattery proving you WISH you were ME but an offtopic "ne'er-do-well" in yourself can NEVER ever be since you waste your time producing the outcome of your WASTED LIFE we all see now from you.
APK
P.S.=> Grow up, get on topic & be normal... ok? Thanks... apk
Impersonating me again I see: Poor imitation & yet sincerest form of flattery proving you WISH you were ME but an offtopic "ne'er-do-well" in yourself can NEVER ever be since you waste your time producing the outcome of your WASTED LIFE we all see now from you.
APK
P.S.=> Grow up, get on topic & be normal... ok? Thanks!... apk
Now anyone who questions high correlations between autism and vaccines. Good work lefties, good work.
LOL! Says UNIDENTIFIABLE anonymous "ANTIFA" type pussy STALKING me all over /. for YEARS like an obsessed loon you are!
APK
P.S.=> You WISH you were me via your IMPERSONATIONS of myself proving it (albeit POOR imitation thus not flattering as imitation IS the SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY)... apk
Russians are behind everything those days.
Are you sure it's not the French ?
No it couldn't be the French ; they're blaming the Russians for everything too.
Maybe the Chinese ?
Does someone if the Chinese are blaming the Russians ?
Libs want us to inject who knows what into our bodies and hurt our kids for unproven "vaccine" when it is proven kids do just as well without them and are safe from the autism. I bet this whole story is just more fake stuff from lamestream media, but even if it were true I'd thank the Russias for at least trying to help us see light instead of endless lies and bullshit of liberal SJW politics maskerading as "science".
Impersonating me STILL again I see: Poor imitation & yet sincerest form of flattery proving you WISH you were ME but an offtopic "ne'er-do-well" in yourself can NEVER ever be since you waste your time producing the outcome of your WASTED LIFE we all see now from you.
APK
P.S.=> Grow up, get on topic & be normal... ok? Thanks!... apk
USA high grade education is so bad comparing to Europe thus one can fool stupid american sheeps whatever you want....US government did bad education on purpose, but now is scared that the sheeps started to believe foreingh lies instead of theirs.
Due to moronic Westerners getting there first
it's also notable for the fact that most Twitter users appeared to have ignored its anti-vaccine messages.
But ... Russians! It's not possible to simply ignore their messages, is it??
I thought they had secret mind control powers on social media!
NRA was infiltrated and pwoned by Russians.
Proof positive from the semi-official propaganda organs that forcing people against their will to ingest exotic biopharma products is the incontestably right thing to do, solidly backed by popular opinion, endorsed by SCIENCE(tm), and an altogether fine excuse for boot to the face police state tactics.
UNIDENTIFIABLE anonymous ANTIFA pussy - Get 1 thing straight you pitiful shitbag: There's NO APOLOGY for you being a punk you are.
APK
P.S.=> You're trash shitbag, nothing more - cowardly NO BALLS trash & a punk... apk
We're on to you fucking Russian sonsofbitches, fuck off back to your shitty dictatorship and tell Putin you failed.
Of course if it weren't for so-called 'social media' then none of this would happen. Dump Facebook, dump Twitter, dump all of it. Go back to actually being social with actual people so you know who the hell you're talking to.
We should hire the conspiracy theorists to search for foreign subversive activities.
How the hell would you know that a troll is Russian? Wouldn't a troll know how to proxy?
A lot of negative press and heavy allegations are laid agains Russian government. Most of those are still just allegations and rumors. Russians themselves see that as a part of continuous effort by the west to decompile Russia as a global player.
Russians call this recent phenomena "russaphobia". They repeat all the time that they have never threatened the west at any point. The keep calling the US "our american partners".
While US has openly supported the Ukrainian revolution of 2014, Georgian war of 2008 and the Chechen rebellion.
I guess this piece of news can be easily attributed to the general theme.
US is taking a big financial hit with a new set of sanctions on Russia. The official reason is a failed assasination attempt on a british double agent who was spook-swapped for a Russian spy many years before while having no evidence linking the attempt with Russia.
This is all weird.
Attributed to Frank Kotsonis.
Remember when the Russians repeatedly warned in 2018 of a false flag or staged chemical weapon attack, and it did happen?
They are warning about this again. It might be somewhat imminent but there's no indication of when it takes place (maybe before November 6th?)
If a chemical attack does happen in the coming days, weeks, months (with or without chemical weapons) remember you read it here first, from the mouth of the Russian government.
-----
MOSCOW, August 25. /TASS/. A provocation with an alleged chemical weapons use in Syria, which terrorists are plotting to stage with the assistance of UK special services, will serve as a pretext for missile strikes by the West and the United States against the Arab country, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Saturday.
According to the Russian general, the provocation will be staged by terrorists of the Hayat Tahrir ash-Sham terrorist organization (formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra outlawed in Russia) and for this purpose eight containers with chlorine have been brought to the Idlib province.
"The staging of this provocation with the active participation of the UK special services is set to serve as a new pretext for missile and bomb strikes by the United States, Great Britain and France against Syria’s government and economic facilities," the spokesman said.
For this purpose, "the US Navy’s destroyer Sullivans with 56 cruise missiles on its board arrived in the Persian Gulf several days ago while a B-1B strategic bomber of the US Air Force armed with AGM-158 JASSM air-to-surface missiles was redeployed to the Al Udeid air base in Qatar," the Russian general said.
"Absolutely unfounded statements made by some high officials of the United States, Great Britain and France on Wednesday, August 22, about their intention to respond in the most resolute way to the alleged chemical weapons use by the Syrian government" can serve as an indirect confirmation of the preparations by the United States and its allies for a new act of aggression against Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said.
"Therefore, the actions by Western countries contrary to public statements are aimed at another dramatic escalation of the situation in the Middle East and at disrupting the peace process on the territory of Syria," the Russian general stressed.
The US and its allies already used terrorists’ provocations in the past as a pretext for delivering missile strikes against Syrian government facilities.
On April 7, 2017, US President Donald Trump ordered a strike on the Shayrat air base. The attack, involving 59 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, came as a response to the alleged use of chemical weapons in the Idlib province on April 4. Damascus dismissed those accusations based on testimony by the White Helmets organization.
On April 14, the United States, Great Britain and France delivered a massive strike on Syria without the UN Security Council’s authorization. According to Russia’s Foreign Ministry, the attack with more than 100 missiles targeted a research center in Damascus, the headquarters of the Republican Guard, an air defense base, several military aerodromes and army depots.
Washington, London and Paris claimed that the missile strikes were a response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government troops in the town of Douma.
The Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organization (outlawed in Russia) is plotting a provocation with the alleged chemical weapons use by the Syrian government troops against civilians in Syria, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said on Saturday.
"According to the information confirmed simultaneously by several independent sources, the active terrorist grouping Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra) is plotting a new provocation with the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government forces against civilians in the Idlib province," Konashenkov
It's cute to watch baby Russia try and do anything they possibly can to the current Goliath.
Quite ironic that Russia is helping the US immunize it's citizens against bullshit and controversy, real or not. Next time a plane flies into a building people will shrug and laugh out loud, expecting it to be fake news.
Thanks Russia!
Yours truly, the US of A.
Screaming is bad for your throat.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
The creimertards, "APK", Trump imprisonment fantasizers, Russian-conspiracy theorists, and the faggot/INCEL/pedophile/traitor/Nazi trolls are all the work of disreputable political operative David Brock, and his fifty cent army of "nerd virgins".
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/09/david-brock-hillary-clinton-correct-the-record/
Earlier they gained notoriety for their duplicitous "Correct the Record" misinformation campaign on behalf of presidential candidate Hitlary Clinton.
They are are employed by a Democrat affiliated "progressive" propaganda works called "American Bridge 21st Century". According to Wikipedia their biggest funder is George Soros.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bridge_21st_Century
The purpose of their spamming and cyber-stalking is to silence unapproved narratives. They do this by deterring free public discussion and poisoning any forum that does not implement censorship of unapproved viewpoints.
Oh come on... Don.t blame russia for America being dumb
The problem with anti-anti-vaccine arguments is they are attacking strawman arguments that only some fringe people seem to believe.
The only "valid" anti-vaccine argument -- and the argument people who don't vaccinate their kids actually rely upon -- are the various problems with the annual flu vaccine. Thos problems have led to a lack of confidence in the life-saving vaccines available, which is a shame.
The flu vaccine is not much more than a money-grab/crap-shoot each year. Moreover, the inhaler version spreads, rather than retards, the multiple strains of flu since they are not as "weakened" as they ought to be. The nasal spray flu vaccine "may have" led to increased flu across the country -- one sickness after another.
Before the flu vaccine became encouraged for everyone, people might get sick for a few days once or twice a year. Now, in some areas of the country especially, it's a year-round thing, one flu after another.
This is why the Obama administration discouraged the inhaler version's use around the country. It was reversed by Trump, of course.
Source: My spouse has been largely bed-ridden for 10 years after taking the inhaler version, followed by a serious strep infection. I wrote to Pres. Obama to reconsider the inhaler flu vaccine's use. He responded, and acted. Please vote in 2020.
Anything that has any debate in it has the Russians in their throwing their 2c in, in a way that will create confusion at least and division at most.
No Kremlin trolls then? Really?
My car broke down and they cancelled my favorite TV show. Those damn Russians.