Did Russian Trolls Have Company?: New Evidence on Israel-based PSY-Group's Possible Social Media Eff

[Skidmore]

Last edited Sun Jun 3, 2018, 09:40 AM - Edit history (2)

https://www.justsecurity.org/57245/russian-trolls-company-evidence-israel-based-psy-groups-social-me

Much ink has been spilled on the role of the Russia-backed Internet Research Agency’s engaging in disinformation tactics to help the Trump campaign. The intelligence firm and thirteen individuals connected to it are the targets of an indictment brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in February. The indictment finds fault with the IRA for “posing as U.S. persons and creating false U.S. personas, operated social media pages and groups designed to attract U.S. audiences” and then using those assets to spread disinformation designed to interfere in the election. But a little known private Israeli intelligence firm may well have done precisely the same thing, according to new information by an independent organization that tracks such efforts.

The New York Times was the first to report on a meeting between Donald Trump Jr., Erik Prince and George Nader in August 2016 that included Joel Zamel, the founder of PSY-Group, an Israel-based private intelligence firm that sold social-media manipulation services. The meeting was in part to pitch PSY-Group’s proposal to use “thousands of fake social media accounts to promote Mr. Trump’s candidacy on platforms like Facebook.”

Without much more than raising the question whether the plan pitched to the Trump campaign was ever adopted, the New York Times’ story does hint that PSY-Group may have undertaken these efforts. Don Jr. reportedly “responded approvingly” to the proposal, Nader paid Zamel $2 million after the election, and in Dec. 2016 Nader turned to another Zamel-linked company “to purchase a presentation demonstrating the impact of social media campaigns on Mr. Trump’s electoral victory,” the Times reported.

Following the New York Times story, Bloomberg reported that the special counsel is investigating flows of money into PSY-Group’s Cyprus bank account. The Wall Street Journal then reported that PSY-Group “formed a strategic partnership” with the data firm that worked with the Trump campaign”–Cambridge Analytica–“in a joint bid to win business from the U.S. government and other clients after the 2016 election.” The agreement was apparently also inked in Dec. 2016–suggesting the companies may have already established a line of communication before the election. Then, the Wall Street Journal published a nine-slide presentation from PSY-Group outlining how fake accounts helped Donald Trump win the 2016 election....more

Note: Since I posted this article early this morning, it has been purged from the site.

Cached article at this link: https://www.justsecurity.org/57245/russian-trolls-company-evidence-israel-based-psy-groups-social-media-efforts-2016-election/

[Sherman A1]

1. I wouldn't be surprised at all

In this technological world, it would not be all that difficult to accomplish.

[malaise]

2. Evidence is suggesting that we really should continue to follow the money

All the big foreign financiers linked to RW and autocratic governments were in on this coup.

[dalton99a]

7. +1

[pwb]

3. Probably did!

Makes sense, because it's so hard to say anyhting against things Israel does, without getting called out for it. Seems they are always up for a fight as long as they benefit by it. Fuck the rest of us.! So sick of the Middle East bullshit.

[TimeSnowDemos]

4. Israel has a long history

Of espionage in the US.

And of attempting to meddle. In US elections.

And of trying to buy access and manipulation domestic policy.

No one cares.

[Skidmore]

5. Oh, we care

when other nations try to select our officials.

[TimeSnowDemos]

6. You sure?

Because Israel has been trying to manipulate the process for years.

And no one says word one.

If you spend time outside of the US you'll see just how biased US media and politicians are, and just how much influence - mostly bought and paid for - Israeli lobbyists have on US politics.

It's not a joke.

And of course, Israelis have been repeatedly busted spying on Americans and US politicians... Sure even after the Israeli military attacked a Navy vessel deliberately there was barely a peep out of US politicians and media.

[George II]

8. Have you heard of Jonathan Pollard? We do care:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Pollard

[TimeSnowDemos]

9. I have of course

HE was given parole, his family paid for by Israelis, and Israelis spent years arguing for his release.

The Israelis have NO remorse and since then have been busted repeatedly trying to spy on the US.

Has this lead to Israel being on watch lists or having it's funding from the US cut? Has it lead to stricter laws governing Israeli lobbyists?

On the contrary Israel - despite this and much more - is a closer ally than ever. The US doesn't care, really.

https://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/05/opinions/limiting-israel-espionage-in-america-rogan/index.html

America doesn't care.

[Gothmog]

10. Russia stole the election and put Putin's puppet into the white house