Hamilton 68: Tracking Putin's bots and trolls

[BainsBane]

The dashboard: http://dashboard.securingdemocracy.org/
It lists top and trending topics, hashtags and sites.

For example

Trending Domains

Domains
% change in the last 48 hours
scribd.com
+1700%
wikileaks.org
+1300%
gab.ai
+1300%
truth-out.org
+1100%
m.washingtontimes
+900%
theam.cn
+900%
cnbc.com
+800%
en.trend
+700%
theblacksphere.net
+700%
invent-the-future.org
+70

An explanation of the project:

Since Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. election, many have warned that Putin will be back in 2018 and 2020. But the reality is that Russian influence operations never left. As former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper recently stated, the Kremlin is already beginning to “prep the battlefield” for the 2018 elections. But what does this mean?

Russia’s activities continue on multiple fronts. One happening right under our nose and in plain sight is its continued information operations aimed at spreading propaganda and disinformation online. Indeed, Russia’s information operations in 2016 did not happen overnight — they were enabled by a foundation built over several years of operations in U.S. information space. Since the election, Russia’s efforts to shape what Americans think has continued. Americans deserve to know what messages Russian disinformation networks are pushing.

"In the Federalist Papers No. 68, Alexander Hamilton wrote of protecting America’s electoral process from foreign meddling. Today, we face foreign interference of a type Hamilton could scarcely have imagined."
The Hamilton 68 dashboard, launching today as part of the Alliance for Securing Democracy, provides a near real-time look at Russian propaganda and disinformation efforts online. The top of the page shows tweets from official Russian propaganda outlets in English, and a short post discussing the themes of the day. This is Russia’s overt messaging.

But these disinformation networks also include bots and trolls that synchronize to promote Russian messaging themes, including attack campaigns and the spreading of disinformation. Some of these accounts are directly controlled by Russia, others are users who on their own initiative reliably repeat and amplify Russian themes. Our analysis is based on linked 600 Twitter accounts to Russian influence activities online, and the lower section of the dashboard features charts that display topics, hashtags, and links currently promoted by this network.
http://securingdemocracy.gmfus.org/blog/2017/08/02/hamilton-68-new-tool-track-russian-disinformation-twitter

Do not allow yourself to be played. Do not defend or support their propaganda efforts because you think i may benefit a particular candidate or supports some narrative about the 2016 elections you want to maintain. They are not your allies. The singular goal is to advance Kremlin interests, and that means pushing far-right, white nationalism, which will further weaken international alliances among the West and thereby strengthen's Putin. Weakened international alliances undermines diplomacy and can only lead to more wars. No short term advantage is worth undermining your country, peace, diplomacy, and lives of citizens jeopardized by the spread of white nationalism. .

[Generic Other]

1. I agree with you about the real enemy we need to focus on

We are at war. And DU footsoldiers need to remember we have the home court advantage.

[BainsBane]

2. I'm not sure how much of an advantage it is

Doesn't seem like one.

[BainsBane]

3. A story on David Brock fighting Trump is the number 1 url

and a Truthout story claiming Wikileaks proves the US planned a bloodbath and regime change in Syria is number 2.


Now we know why David Brock is the bete noire of the white nationalists posing as leftists.