How Russian-funded fake news network aims to disrupt election in Europe | BBC News

Moldova Election Interference: Russian Disinformation Campaign

Key Concepts:

• Election interference
• Disinformation campaign
• Fake news network
• Illegal polling
• Social media manipulation
• Pro-Russian political parties
• Anti-EU sentiment
• Oligarch influence
• Financial smuggling
• International sanctions

1. Allegations of Russian Election Interference:

• Muldoven state intelligence accuses Russia of spending record sums to influence the upcoming elections on September 28th.
• The election pits the pro-European PAS party against a coalition of pro-Russian, anti-EU parties.
• Previous referendum on joining the EU was marred by allegations of Russian interference, including paying citizens to protest against EU membership.
• Muldoven oligarch Ilan Shaw, living in exile in Moscow, is accused of organizing these illegal payments.

2. Ilan Shaw's Open Interference:

• Shaw is openly offering to pay for protests against the government, which authorities consider blatant election interference.

3. Undercover Investigation of a Fake News Network:

• BBCI reporter Anna infiltrated a fake news network to uncover its operations.
• Four months before the election, Anna joined a private, invitation-only Telegram channel called "Electoral Hackathon."
• The channel recruits individuals to influence elections while posing as ordinary citizens.

4. Training and Recruitment:

• Recruits attend online lectures on how to get paid to influence elections.
• Anna received a message from Alina Zuk, identified as a leader from Transnistria with connections to Ilan Shaw's campaign group, Evraasia.
• Alina offered Anna 600 Muldoven lei (£25) per completed opinion poll.

5. Illegal Polling Operations:

• Recruits were instructed to conduct opinion polls on the street, secretly recording participants.
• They were told to represent themselves as being from the "European Center for the Study of Public Opinion, Free Democracy," an unregistered and non-existent entity.
• The polls contained leading questions attacking the government and promoting Muldova Mari and its candidate, Victoria Fortuna.

6. Victoria Fortuna and Muldova Mari:

• Victoria Fortuna, known for her close ties to Russia, is running as an MP for Muldova Mari.
• Fortuna is a former anti-corruption prosecutor who resigned after being accused of leaking data from a criminal investigation.
• Muldova Mari's policies follow a pro-Russian, anti-Western platform.

7. Social Media Manipulation:

• Anna was offered 130 a month to create fake social media profiles on Facebook and TikTok and post daily content.
• The content aimed to discredit the current government and promote Shaw's paid protests.
• Instructions often contained outright lies.
• Payment was to be received from PSB Bank in Moscow, a Russian state-owned bank under international sanctions and linked to Ilan Shaw.

8. Setbacks and Pivots:

• The Muldova electoral commission blocked four parties from running, including Victoria Fortuna's.
• The network pivoted to support a new group of socialist MPs called the "new patriotic block."

9. Evidence of Russian Funding:

• Anna caught Alina requesting more cash from Russia to pay for campaigning in Moldova.

10. Post-Election Disinformation Strategy:

• Alina suggested that if the election results are unfavorable, the network would use its illegal polling data to claim the vote was rigged.

11. Scale of Disinformation Campaign:

• 90 TikTok accounts, identified as part of the same digital brigade as Anna, posted identical messages on the same days.
• These accounts received over 23 million views and 860,000 likes in a country with a population of only 2.4 million.

12. Conclusion:

• The election results will likely be heavily disputed.
• The disinformation campaign will have lasting negative effects, regardless of the election outcome.

Notable Quotes:

• "[Shaw is] openly offering to pay for protests against the government," - Authorities on Ilan Shaw's actions.
• Alina reveals her group is just one brigade in a much larger digital army. All with the same marching orders.
• Alina suggests that if the election doesn't go their way, The network will use its illegal and loaded polling to claim that the vote was rigged.

Technical Terms and Concepts:

• Oligarch: A very rich and powerful person, often with political influence.
• Disinformation: False information that is spread deliberately to deceive people.
• Fake News: False or misleading information presented as news.
• Election Interference: Actions taken to undermine or influence the outcome of an election.
• International Sanctions: Penalties imposed by one or more countries against another country or entity, typically to enforce international law or policy.

Logical Connections:

The video presents a clear narrative, starting with the general accusation of Russian interference, then zooming in on the specific methods used, including illegal polling, social media manipulation, and financial connections to Russia. The undercover investigation provides concrete evidence to support the initial allegations. The pivot in strategy after the initial candidate was blocked demonstrates the adaptability of the disinformation campaign. The conclusion emphasizes the lasting damage caused by the campaign, regardless of the election outcome.