France’s authorities has accused Russia of a long-running on-line manipulation marketing campaign that included impersonating the web sites of main French media and the French Overseas Ministry
France’s authorities accused Russia on Tuesday of working a long-running on-line manipulation marketing campaign, together with impersonating the web sites of main French media and the French Overseas Ministry, aimed toward spreading confusion and false details about the conflict in Ukraine.
The French company chargeable for combating international digital interference, VIGINUM, stated it has monitored the alleged operation since quickly after Russia invaded its neighbor and that France was one in all a number of European nations focused. It stated it traced the marketing campaign to Russian people, firms and “state entities or entities affiliated to the Russian state.”
Final month, the company detected a mirror web site mimicking the French Overseas Ministry’s and intervened with “protecting and preventive measures,” VIGINUM stated in a report printed Tuesday.
“France condemns these actions, that are unworthy of a everlasting member of the United Nations Safety Council. No try at manipulation will distract France from its help for Ukraine within the face of Russia’s conflict of aggression,” the ministry stated in a press release with unusually sturdy wording.
The Russian Embassy in France didn’t instantly remark.
VIGINUM stated it recognized 355 domains usurping the identities of European media shops, together with these of French day by day newspapers Le Monde and Le Figaro. It stated the content material unfold on the pretend websites denigrated the Ukrainian armed forces and amplified criticism of sanctions towards Russia and the influence of Ukrainian refugees on different European nations.
French Overseas Ministry spokesperson Anne-Claire Legendre stated it was the primary time the federal government has “so clearly and explicitly” attributed blame for this sort of marketing campaign.
She stated the pretend ministry web site was aimed toward creating confusion about France’s help for Ukraine and undermining democratic debate. She stated the federal government’s intervention restricted the influence of the mirror website, which she described as a component of “the hybrid conflict that Russia is at the moment waging.”
VIGINUM stated the marketing campaign has hyperlinks to a sprawling disinformation community that Fb guardian Meta uncovered final yr, which sought to make use of pretend social media accounts and sham information web sites to unfold Kremlin speaking factors.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, pro-Russian gamers have used on-line disinformation and conspiracy theories in an effort to weaken worldwide help for Ukraine. Social media platforms and European governments have tried to stifle Russian propaganda and disinformation, solely to see the Kremlin shift techniques.
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Comply with AP’s protection of the conflict in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine