ASSESSMENTS

Russian Meddling: A Highly Ordered Effort to Disorder U.S. Politics

Feb 22, 2018 | 15:57 GMT

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announces the indictments of 13 Russians and three Russian entities accused of meddling in the 2016 presidential election during a Feb. 16 news conference in Washington.

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announces the indictments of 13 Russians and three Russian entities accused of meddling in the 2016 presidential election during a Feb. 16 news conference in Washington.

(WIN MCNAMEE/Getty Images)

Analysis Highlights

  • The Russian effort raised trolling to a professional level of information warfare.
  • Russia's ongoing goal is destabilizing the U.S. electorate by amplifying political divisions.
  • Moscow's tactics can be mimicked by virtually anyone with a computer.

A Feb. 16 indictment by Special Counsel Robert Mueller of 13 Russian individuals and three entities accused of meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election details Moscow's effort to manipulate public opinion during the campaign through social media information warfare. While such trolling is nothing new, the scale and organization of the Russian operation stands out, providing a blueprint for others who wish to optimize their ability to manipulate opinion via online platforms....

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