Russia's Doppelgänger Network: Disinformation Campaign Targeting EU Parliament Elections Focuses on Renewable Energy and Undermining Western Narratives

Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium Belgium
Disinformation campaign focuses on renewable energy and undermining Western narratives
EDMO identifies growing Russian disinformation network named 'Pravda'
EU leaders concerned about foreign interference in EU Parliament elections
Influence network creates clone sites of European media organizations
Rapid alert teams and investigative agencies working to combat disinformation
Russia's Doppelgänger network named 'Doppelgäenger' discovered
Russia's Doppelgänger Network: Disinformation Campaign Targeting EU Parliament Elections Focuses on Renewable Energy and Undermining Western Narratives

A surge in Russian disinformation is targeting the European Union (EU) ahead of the EU Parliament elections, with false narratives and deepfakes flooding social media platforms. Researchers from SentinelOne and EU DisinfoLab have uncovered a Russia-based influence network, called 'Doppelgänger,' which creates clone sites of prominent European media organizations to spread misleading and false content.

The disinformation campaign focuses on renewable energy, with false narratives claiming that renewables are doing little for the EU's energy security. This is part of Russia's interest in undermining the EU's messaging on climate, as it competes with the West for business and influence in the Global South. Politicians in France and Italy have shared false news about climate policies forcing EU citizens to eat insects.

The European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) has identified a growing Russian disinformation network, operating under the name 'Pravda,' which targets all 27 EU countries with its content. This network uses artificial intelligence to produce high volumes of content, providing insight into Russia's disinformation tactics ahead of the U.S. presidential election.

EU leaders have expressed concern over foreign interference in the elections and have put rapid alert teams on notice to address any serious incidents. A disinformation crisis unit has been established to operate for weeks after the polls close, dealing with attacks on the legitimacy of the results.

Officials have concluded that disinformation is not being used to help more Russia or China-friendly MEPs win seats but to promote an anti-western narrative. EU investigative agencies are working diligently to counter these campaigns and ensure a free and fair vote for the 373 million eligible voters.

Despite the high stakes, political leaders have been slow to catch on, with one senior EU official referring to Europe as having been 'put to sleep by the peace dividend.' However, rapid alert teams and investigative agencies are working tirelessly to combat disinformation and ensure a fair electoral process.


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Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • Are all politicians sharing false news about climate policies actually part of the Russian disinformation campaign?
  • Is Russia specifically targeting renewable energy to undermine Western narratives or is it just a coincidence?

Sources

74%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Doppelgängers and deepfakes: How Russian trolls are meddling with the European elections

CNN News Site: In-Depth Reporting and Analysis with Some Financial Conflicts and Sensational Language Ivana Kottasová Tuesday, 04 June 2024 04:01
  • Unique Points
    • SentinelOne and EU DisinfoLab have uncovered a Russia-based influence network called 'Doppelgänger' that puts out clone sites of prominent European media organizations to spread misleading and false content.
    • False narratives that renewables are doing little for the EU's energy security have emerged.
    • Russia has another interest in undermining the EU's messaging on climate. As it seeks to strengthen its relations in the Global South, particularly in Africa and Asia, where it is competing with the West for business and influence, it is trying to depict Europe's climate policies as exploitative of poorer countries.
    • Politicians in France and Italy have shared false news that climate policies to cut pollution from farming will force EU citizens to eat insects.
  • Accuracy
    • 373 million eligible voters are heading to polls to elect a new EU parliament this week.
    • Russian disinformation around elections is nothing new, but the tactics are becoming more sophisticated and use artificial intelligence and deepfakes.
    • SentinelOne, alongside the independent research group EU DisinfoLab, has worked to uncover a Russia-based influence network operating in Europe since 2022 called ‘Doppelgänger'
    • False narratives that renewables are doing little for the EU’s energy security have emerged.
    • EU DisinfoLab found other stories falsely claiming wind turbines were causing toxic pollution.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article contains several examples of deception through selective reporting and sensationalism. The author presents a number of false narratives about the European Union (EU) that are not based in fact, such as the EU wanting to ban drivers from getting their old cars repaired or implementing 'carbon passports'. These statements are intended to create a negative perception of the EU and are not supported by any evidence provided in the article. Additionally, there is a focus on spreading false narratives about Russia's involvement in disinformation campaigns related to climate policy, which is used to sow confusion and division rather than bring about a change in climate policy. The author also implies that renewable energy sources are doing little for the EU's energy security and falsely claims that wind turbines are causing toxic pollution.
    • False narratives that renewables are doing little for the EU’s energy security have also emerged.
    • Artificial intelligence and deepfakes are quickly becoming the tools of choice by those looking to spread false narratives.
    • If you believe everything you read, it would seem the European Union wants to ban drivers from getting their old cars repaired, or that it plans to limit the flights people can take by implementing ‘carbon passports’. It might even impose Covid-style ‘climate lockdowns’.
    • None of these things are true, but as 373 million eligible voters head to polls this week to elect a new EU parliament, a torrent of disinformation is flooding the continent.
    • One such fake story, published on a website mimicking Bild, described how a teenage cyclist bled to death after streetlights were turned off to save electricity. The fake article claimed the German government cut the lights because of an energy crisis fueled by sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine.
  • Fallacies (75%)
    The article contains several examples of fallacies related to misinformation and disinformation. The author claims that Russian disinformation around elections is nothing new but notes that the tactics are becoming more sophisticated with the use of AI and deepfakes. The article discusses a specific Russia-based influence network called Doppelgänger, which has been operating in Europe since 2022 and focuses on spreading fake stories to influence attitudes on subjects like wars, energy crises, and climate change. The article also highlights how false narratives are being spread through social media platforms and are seeping into European parliaments where populist politicians are peddling these false narratives. Additionally, the article discusses the consequences of these disinformation campaigns on EU policies and legislation.
    • None of these things are true, but as 373 million eligible voters head to polls this week to elect a new EU parliament, a torrent of disinformation is flooding the continent.
    • Allegations of Russian disinformation around elections are nothing new though Russia has always denied waging such campaigns.
    • The network puts out clone sites of prominent European media organizations, including major publications like the Guardian and Bild in Germany, as vehicles to spread misleading and false content.
    • False narratives that renewables are doing little for the EU’s energy security have also emerged.
  • Bias (80%)
    The author Ivana Kottasova uses language that depicts Russian disinformation campaigns as causing confusion and division among European citizens, rather than bringing about a change in climate policy. She also implies that Russia's goal is to get people fighting with each other and doesn't care about climate policy.
    • Russia has been very opportunistic. It's looking for controversy and strife, and any current issues that they can exploit.
      • The aim also appears to be to sow confusion and division, rather than to bring about a change in climate policy.
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      91%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Disinformation crisis unit on rapid alert around European elections

      theguardian.com Article URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/13/ pakistan-·coalition-·agrees-to-form-government Lisa O'Carroll Tuesday, 04 June 2024 04:00
      • Unique Points
        • Debunking, prebunking and factchecking; correcting lies, fake news and race hate has become a high-stakes, full-time job for hundreds of staff across Europe in the lead up to the European elections.
        • EU leaders are concerned over foreign interference in the upcoming elections and have put rapid alert teams on notice to address any serious incidents.
        • The threat is expected to continue after the polls close on Sunday, with a disinformation crisis unit set to operate for weeks afterwards to deal with attacks on the legitimacy of the results.
        • The unit allows member states to alert the rest of the bloc about threats they are seeing at home, but it also has a strategic role in going after those who hold the trigger behind disinformation campaigns.
        • EU officials have concluded that disinformation is not being used to help more Russia or China-friendly MEPs win seats in the upcoming elections, but to promote an anti-western narrative.
      • Accuracy
        • False narratives that renewables are doing little for the EU’s energy security have emerged.
      • Deception (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Fallacies (75%)
        The article contains a few instances of inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority. It also uses generalizations when discussing the quantity of disinformation, which could be considered an overgeneralization fallacy. However, these issues do not occur frequently enough to warrant a significantly lower score.
        • It is as if we have been put to sleep by the peace dividend,” said one senior EU official, referring to Europe after the second world war.
        • What they are trying to do is destroy the west’s way of life. Their aim is to undermine the trust in everything.”
        • Senior EU experts who gathered to discuss the matter earlier this year heard estimates that Russia was spending €1bn on disinformation.
      • Bias (95%)
        The author expresses a clear bias against foreign interference in European elections and Russia specifically. She uses language that depicts those who engage in disinformation as 'silent killers' and 'those who hold the trigger'. The author also quotes EU officials expressing concern over Russian disinformation, referring to it as a major threat. These statements demonstrate a bias against foreign interference and Russia.
        • Anonymous account on X, Radio Genoa, which has more than 735,000 followers and spews a stream of provocative videos to an audience of millions suggesting people of colour and Muslims are a danger to society
          • It is like we have been infected by this foreign interference. It is a silent killer.
            • Recent claims included a hoax report in Greece that Germany had decriminalised online child sexual abuse. In Slovakia, pro-Kremlin channels spread false claims that the wife of the man accused of shooting the prime minister, Robert Fico, was a refugee from Ukraine.
              • What they are trying to do is destroy the west's way of life. Their aim is to undermine the trust in everything.
              • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication

              94%

              The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
              (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

              A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

              Russian disinformation network targets politicians ahead of EU elections

              CBS News Site: https://www.cbsnews.com/articles/about-us/ Erielle Delzer Tuesday, 04 June 2024 07:58
              • Unique Points
                • A growing Russian disinformation network, operating under the name 'Pravda' and masquerading as news websites, is targeting all 27 EU countries with its content ahead of the EU Parliament elections.
                • The network's use of artificial intelligence to produce high volumes of content provides insight into Russia's disinformation tactics ahead of the U.S. presidential election.
                • Researchers from the European Digital Media Observatory say the Pravda network has expanded to at least 28 countries, including 19 EU member states.
                • The French government found in its own investigation that the Pravda websites all had a common IP address hosted on a server traced to Russia, as well as the same external links and sections.
              • Accuracy
                • A growing Russian disinformation network, operating under the name ‘Pravda’ and masquerading as news websites, is targeting all 27 EU countries with its content ahead of the EU Parliament elections.
                • The network’s use of artificial intelligence to produce high volumes of content provides insight into Russia’s disinformation tactics ahead of the U.S. presidential election.
                • Russian disinformation tactics have evolved to include narrative laundering, discrediting institutions, undermining the legitimacy of the democratic process, and attacking moderate political candidates.
                • Professional media organizations tend to link news articles to the journalists who reported the information in the name of transparency. However, these fabricated articles do not; instead, they link to Telegram accounts such as Rybar.
                • Rybar, a pro-Russian Telegram channel founded by Russian military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk, has grown to over 1.2 million subscribers.
              • Deception (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Fallacies (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Bias (80%)
                The author uses the term 'our adversaries' to refer to Russia, which could be seen as implying a negative or hostile stance towards Russia. The article also mentions that Russian disinformation tactics include discrediting institutions and attacking moderate political candidates. While these statements are factual, they could be perceived as biased due to the negative connotation associated with the term 'adversaries' and the implication that Russian actions are harmful or undesirable.
                • Election disinformation benefits "our adversaries,"
                  • They will discredit institutions, undermine the legitimacy of the democratic process and attack moderate political candidates, both Democrat and Republican, in an attempt to drive further extremism.
                  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                    None Found At Time Of Publication
                  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                    None Found At Time Of Publication