Full List of Russian Twitter Bots Banned In Election Meddling Probe
BY DAMIEN SHARKOV ON 11/3/17 AT 8:11 AM
As part of the investigation of data handed over by Twitter, Facebook and Google, lawmakers have released a full list of 2,752 now-deactivated Twitter accounts suspected of being Russian bots.
The accounts, which include references to the U.S. election, President Donald Trump, Russian domestic politics and Ukraine, were all linked to the Internet Research Agency, a Russian firm that operated hundreds of fake accounts to spead divisive political messages ahead of the 2016 election.
Published in a 65-page list are 2,752 Twitter handles and their identification numbers, all supposedly spawned from the St. Petersburg-based unit.
Some make no attempt to disguise their connection to Russia, with at least nine having either “Russia” or “Russian” in their handle. Many others take Eastern European names such as @Kuznetsov_Boris and @MariaKokoshkina, passing off as individuals’ personal accounts.
There are 27 accounts the reference “novosti” (translates as “news”) in an effort to push a message to a Russian-speaking audience. Indeed, only those clued up on Russian politics would take interest in @TrueNavalny—likely dedicated to Alexey Navalny, the Kremlin’s top critic—or @SpasiboVVP (translated as “Thank you VVP”—Vladimir Putin’s initials.)
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http://www.newsweek.com/full-list-russian-twitter-bots-banned-election-meddling-probe-700703
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