The United States Department of Justice has uncovered two domains associated with Russia's disinformation efforts during wartime, used for disseminating misinformation and fake news on social media. According to FBI officials, the AI-driven disinformation campaign from Russia involved nearly 1,000 accounts on X, posing as Americans.
U.S. Department of Justice Uncovered Alleged Russian ‘Bot Farm’
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday the seizure of two internet domains and the investigation of nearly 1,000 social media accounts allegedly used by Russian operatives posing as Americans, advocating support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
According to court documents disclosed Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice identified a deputy editor at Russian-owned RT as the mastermind behind the scheme to disseminate false information.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized that these actions disrupted a Russian-government-backed propaganda effort utilizing AI-powered bot networks to propagate disinformation.
"As the Russian government continues to wage its brutal war in Ukraine and threatens democracies around the world, the Justice Department will continue to deploy all of our legal authorities to counter Russian aggression and protect the American people", he added.
"Today's action demonstrates that the Justice Department and our partners will not tolerate Russian government actors and their agents deploying AI to sow disinformation and fuel division among Americans," said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.
"As malign actors accelerate their criminal misuse of AI, the Justice Department will respond, and we will prioritize disruptive actions with our international partners and the private sector. We will not hesitate to shut down bot farms, seize illegally obtained internet domains, and take the fight to our adversaries."
FBI Director Christopher Wray highlighted that today's actions mark the first disruption of a Russian-sponsored, AI-enhanced social media bot farm. He emphasized that Russia aimed to use this technology to spread AI-generated foreign disinformation, scaling their efforts to undermine Ukraine and influence global narratives in favor of Russian interests.
X Suspended the Bot Accounts in Terms of Service Violations
The accounts had very few followers, as shown by screenshots shared by FBI investigators. X voluntarily suspended the bot accounts identified in court documents, according to the Justice Department.
Beyond the FBI, U.S. Cyber Command, along with Dutch and Canadian security agencies, played roles in uncovering the alleged bot operation. The bot farm also targeted Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Ukraine, and Israel, according to a joint advisory released Tuesday by U.S., Dutch, and Canadian authorities.
According to the Justice Department, the bot farm, which included X accounts posing as cryptocurrency enthusiasts.
FBI Agent's Affidavit
According to an FBI affidavit, RT leadership approved a proposal from an employee to use software for creating a bot farm aimed at distributing information widely through multiple social media accounts. The scheme began when Russian operatives purchased one of two domain names in 2022 from Namecheap, an Arizona-based company, to establish the bot farm, as per the court documents.
In a case cited by the Justice Department, a fake account, purportedly from Minneapolis, posted a video of Russian President Vladimir Putin asserting that parts of Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania were "gifts" liberated by Russian forces from Nazi control during World War II. Another fake account responded to an unnamed U.S. federal office candidate with a video of Putin justifying Russia's actions in Ukraine.
Russia’s Misinformation Interference in the E.U and U.S. Elections
In early June 2024, European governments accused Russia of spreading disinformation ahead of the European Union's election for the European Parliament, scheduled for June 6–9. They claim that actions by Moscow and pro-Kremlin actors are part of a broader interference campaign aimed at discrediting European governments and destabilizing the E.U.
Accusations of Russian interference include dissemination of disinformation, involving manipulation of the truth through amplifying existing conspiracy theories, creating deepfake videos, and publishing fake news on 'doppelganger' sites designed to look like legitimate ones. Belgium also said that Russian officials had paid European Parliament lawmakers to promote Russian propaganda in Europe.
According to NBC News, citing former U.S. officials and cyber experts in February 2024, Russia is already spreading disinformation ahead of the 2024 U.S. election, using fake online accounts and bots to target President Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats.
Experts say that the attacks on Biden are part of Moscow's ongoing effort to undermine American military aid to Ukraine and weaken U.S. support for NATO.
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