Documents Show How Russia’s Troll Army Hit America

Russia’s campaign to shape international opinion around its invasion of Ukraine has extended to recruiting and training a new cadre of online trolls that have been deployed to spread the Kremlin’s message on the comments section of top American websites.

Documents Show How Russia’s Troll Army Hit America

First, apologies if this has already been posted. I did a search for the subject line and didn't see it in the results.

I've seen a few threads here at ATS recently about "shills", mostly with regard to the CIA, NSA etc; I'm sure its been mentioned that the Russians also do this at some point here, and here we have an article about it.

The article itself is interesting, I think, but "the documents" mentioned in the title of the article didn't appear in the article itself. Though I admit I had to read very quickly as I have to go get my son from football.

ETA: I hit submit too quick...I meant to add that I have to go pick up my son, so I apologize if it seems as if I'm abandoning my own thread.

I'm sure the USA has trolls of their own in all other countries. I don't think the Russians are alone at this. Also all other countries have trolls in America trying to make sure the best interests of their government is at hand.

This is probably a reality, not a conspiracy. Even large businesses will have trolls in other countries other than there base country so they may get some good PR before entering the country.

All governments have people that are good at what they do working for them. Cyber steering is done by all governments nowadays, it is just a new type of propaganda. If you were in charge of a country, wouldn't you utilize trolls and shills? Wouldn't you use trolls and shills if you ran a huge corporation? Of course you would have to be discrete about it. Cripes, companies even hire people to make false reviews all over the world.

Russia is just playing the game, the same one our government is playing.

originally posted by: rickymouse
I'm sure the USA has trolls of their own in all other countries. I don't think the Russians are alone at this. Also all other countries have trolls in America trying to make sure the best interests of their government is at hand.

This is probably a reality, not a conspiracy. Even large businesses will have trolls in other countries other than there base country so they may get some good PR before entering the country.

All governments have people that are good at what they do working for them. Cyber steering is done by all governments nowadays, it is just a new type of propaganda. If you were in charge of a country, wouldn't you utilize trolls and shills? Wouldn't you use trolls and shills if you ran a huge corporation? Of course you would have to be discrete about it. Cripes, companies even hire people to make false reviews all over the world.

Russia is just playing the game, the same one our government is playing.

Sure sure

But it's when you start fighting your own trolls you lose

a reply to: TritonTaranis

Hey, us Yoopers have been in a pissing match with the downstate Trolls for many decades. If we didn't they would forget we were part of Michigan.

You know it could just be me, but I believe if you go back and look at especially the WW3 forum, during the start of things going on in the Ukraine, you'll find a LOT of new members (and I mean people registering right at that time), that suddenly were flooding the threads with posts, and then new threads.

Not saying they were Russian Trolls, or trolls at all......but it was something that made me raise my eye brow like Mr. Spock.

Most of those new members were "Pro-Russian" or "Anti-Western" if I remember correctly.

But as the weeks have gone on....many of them have simply stopped posting.

Could just be me though.

And ? All forms of media are infested with them from all countries .. nothing new there standard psyops .. tech may change but its always the same old propaganda .. really wish theyd come up with something more entertaining the standerd party lines are boring as hell .. or at least get more creative since they insist on the same old routine all the time ..

originally posted by: Expat888
And ? All forms of media are infested with them from all countries .. nothing new there standard psyops .. tech may change but its always the same old propaganda .. really wish theyd come up with something more entertaining the standerd party lines are boring as hell .. or at least get more creative since they insist on the same old routine all the time ..

Yep!
My opinion is that most of the threads about trolls are posted BY the trolls, as you said, standard psyops.

Yep this one is conspiracy fact. Everyone, and I do mean everyone is making use of paid posters to steer discussions in a direction favorable to them. When corporations do it we call it marketing, when governments do it we call it propaganda.

originally posted by: VoidHawk

originally posted by: Expat888
And ? All forms of media are infested with them from all countries .. nothing new there standard psyops .. tech may change but its always the same old propaganda .. really wish theyd come up with something more entertaining the standerd party lines are boring as hell .. or at least get more creative since they insist on the same old routine all the time ..

Yep!
My opinion is that most of the threads about trolls are posted BY the trolls, as you said, standard psyops.

LOL...fair enough. For what it's worth, (nothing at all), I can assure you I'm not a paid troll. I'd be on here a lot more if I were.

originally posted by: rickymouse

Russia is just playing the game, the same one our government is playing.

Agreed...though I didn't really take the article as a "Look what they're doing, why can't they play by the rules like us?" sort of thing. It read, to me, more like a factual reporting. I could've just read it too un-critically though.

Don't forget the pro Snowden threads, or the pro Syrian regime threads......

Pleasing their Master Putin makes them captain obvious.

Wait, I can get paid to troll? Where do I sign up??!

originally posted by: JJRichey
Wait, I can get paid to troll? Where do I sign up??!

Kremlin, put Snowden as your hero.

originally posted by: JJRichey
Wait, I can get paid to troll? Where do I sign up??!

1600 pennsylvania avenue , washington d.c .. or online at whitehouse.gov ..

And to think
I do it for free
ptthpt

originally posted by: rickymouse
I'm sure the USA has trolls of their own in all other countries. I don't think the Russians are alone at this.

Not in the Army we don't. And we certainly don't have "an army" doing it. Unless you count Hollywood. But _is_ that really the same level of art, if it even is trolling?

Most American's are here, trying to figure out our own country. Not ganging up on one specific country to make sure the rival establishment's message gets page space. Anyone feel like raiding some British forums?


Mike Grouchy

a reply to: BobM88

In order to substantiate the article all one has to do is read the threads on this site. The issue has been raised on this site a few months back however it was in the Ukraine thread so its most likely buried under a few hundred pages.

a reply to: BobM88

Why would Russia think that anyone pays any attention to the comments section on websites? They are universally known as the place for cranks, trolls and other bottom feeders.

It doesn't matter what the article is about, you can guarantee that within a dozen comments it will have reduced to left v right, an argument about God, or "Obama is a Muslim come to take away your guns".

Any discussion about Russia would get lost in the noise immediately.

a reply to: Rob48

And why do you think they devolve into that? Comments sections are used for two purposes. The first is to create a top comment pushing a particular viewpoint, once that has been done replies are made in an attempt to make it look like a consensus opinion. An occasional dissenter is included just so they can be put down as wrong as part of the tactics involved in changing someones mind.

Once the consensus is created the goal is to prevent all other meaningful discussion so that the consensus cannot be argued with.

Interestingly, politics and debate work this way too. State an opinion, create a consensus, and disrupt all points counter to your own.