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20 September 2024

A New Front in the Meme Wars

Joan Donovan

When the Department of Justice indicted two employees of Russia’s state-backed media outlet RT last week, it didn’t just reveal a covert influence operation—it also offered a clear picture of how the tactics used to spread propaganda are changing.

This particular operation allegedly exploited popular U.S. right-wing influencers, who amplified pro-Russian positions on Ukraine and other divisive issues in exchange for large payments. The scheme was purportedly funded with nearly $10 million of Russian money funneled through a company that was left unnamed in the indictment but is almost certainly Tenet Media, founded by two Canadians and incorporated in Tennessee. Reportedly, only Tenet Media’s founders knew that the funding came from Russian benefactors—some of the involved influencers have cast themselves as victims in this scheme—though it’s unclear whether they knew about their benefactors’ ties to RT.

This recent manipulation campaign highlights how digital disinformation is a growing shadow industry. It thrives because of the weak enforcement of content-moderation policies, the increasing influence of social-media figures as political intermediaries, and a regulatory environment that fails to hold tech companies accountable. The consequence is an intensification of an ongoing and ever-present low-grade information war playing out across social-media platforms.

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