7

How to spot fake Russian social media accounts and posts

 2 years ago
source link: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/spot-fake-russian-social-media-100055118.html
Go to the source link to view the article. You can view the picture content, updated content and better typesetting reading experience. If the link is broken, please click the button below to view the snapshot at that time.

How to spot fake Russian social media accounts and posts

Kim Komando
Sat, March 12, 2022, 2:24 AM·6 min read
Shocked Russians turned out by the thousands on Feb. 25 to decry their country's invasion of Ukraine as emotional calls for protests grew on social media.
Shocked Russians turned out by the thousands on Feb. 25 to decry their country's invasion of Ukraine as emotional calls for protests grew on social media.

As the Russia-Ukraine War escalates, cable news ratings have skyrocketed. But look at what they’re showing you: Social media posts and online influencers.

There's no question the Ukraine invasion is a social media war – the world's first. Many TV interviews are with Ukrainians who are garnering large social media followings. TikTok is filled with video clips of after bombing scenes and bomb shelters. They are shot on smartphones by citizens and shared directly with the world, bypassing traditional media outlets.

Here at home, my connections in the cybersecurity world say cyberattacks are getting more sophisticated and will target businesses and ordinary citizens like you and me. Tap or click here for five things you need to update right now, starting with your router.

Among genuine posts and videos, you’re bound to run into fakes, old footage, and misleading information. Here’s how to spot the junk, so you don't unwittingly share it:

RUSSIAN CYBERATTACKS: Americans are at higher risk after Ukraine invasion. Here's what you should do now.

Have a critical eye

Sharing is always one click away on social media. Not many people take the time to research before spreading an article, photo, or video – especially when it comes from a friend or online personality you trust.

Russia's propaganda machine is operating at full throttle. Using artificial intelligence, Russia is creating fake accounts of Ukrainians who supposedly agree with the invasion of their country on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and Twitter.

These accounts say Ukraine is a "failed state," and President Volodymyr Zelensky is “building a neo-Nazi dictatorship.” The accounts often say the person works for a news organization or represents some political movement in Ukraine to build credibility.

Want to see an example? Meet Vladimir Bondarenko.

NBC News senior reporter Ben Collins discovered Vladimir Bondarenko and posted about him: “He’s a blogger from Kiev who really hates the Ukrainian government. He also doesn’t exist, according to Facebook. He’s an invention of a Russian troll farm targeting Ukraine. His face was made by AI.”


report

Recommend

About Joyk


Aggregate valuable and interesting links.
Joyk means Joy of geeK