Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

meow2u3

(24,764 posts)
Tue Mar 21, 2017, 02:24 PM Mar 2017

FBI investigating Blightbart and Infowars for Russian ties

March 20, 2017
Peter Stone and Greg Gordon
McClatchy Washington Bureau
Posted with permission from Tribune Content Agency
Republish
Reprint

WASHINGTON — Federal investigators are examining whether far-right news sites played any role last year in a Russian cyber operation that dramatically widened the reach of news stories — some fictional — that favored Donald Trump's presidential bid, two people familiar with the inquiry say.

Operatives for Russia appear to have strategically timed the computer commands, known as "bots," to blitz social media with links to the pro-Trump stories at times when the billionaire businessman was on the defensive in his race against Democrat Hillary Clinton, these sources said.

The bots' end products were largely millions of Twitter and Facebook posts carrying links to stories on conservative internet sites such as Breitbart News and InfoWars, as well as on the Kremlin-backed RT News and Sputnik News, the sources said. Some of the stories were false or mixed fact and fiction, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the bot attacks are part of an FBI-led investigation into a multifaceted Russian operation to influence last year's elections.

Investigators examining the bot attacks are exploring whether the far-right news operations took any actions to assist Russia's operatives. Their participation, however, wasn't necessary for the bots to amplify their news through Twitter and Facebook.

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/breitbart-and-infowars-under-investigation-for-ties-to-russia-report/

9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
FBI investigating Blightbart and Infowars for Russian ties (Original Post) meow2u3 Mar 2017 OP
Keep following the trail, guys! Eventually we will know everything! Initech Mar 2017 #1
waiting for Alex Jones to completely melt down in the studio wordpix Mar 2017 #7
Follow the money. Kingofalldems Mar 2017 #2
Let me be the first to say, "Haw-Haw" FSogol Mar 2017 #3
And the MSM eat it up like candy. DK504 Mar 2017 #4
take a look at blacklisted news, too. mopinko Mar 2017 #5
AHA! So THIS was Bannon's role - get Russian propaganda to RW news outlets wordpix Mar 2017 #6
Make Russia Great Again R B Garr Mar 2017 #8
Alex Jones is too crazy for the Russians. Turbineguy Mar 2017 #9

Initech

(100,079 posts)
1. Keep following the trail, guys! Eventually we will know everything!
Tue Mar 21, 2017, 02:36 PM
Mar 2017

Oh and the sound of Alex Jones' head exploding -

wordpix

(18,652 posts)
7. waiting for Alex Jones to completely melt down in the studio
Tue Mar 21, 2017, 03:01 PM
Mar 2017

They guy is fat, flabby, and a heart attack waiting to happen

DK504

(3,847 posts)
4. And the MSM eat it up like candy.
Tue Mar 21, 2017, 02:46 PM
Mar 2017

Despite the fact that they KNEW it was bullshit they still "reported" it like it was realistic. Every single news agency in this country is complicit in getting this traitor in office. EVERY damn one of them.

mopinko

(70,112 posts)
5. take a look at blacklisted news, too.
Tue Mar 21, 2017, 02:57 PM
Mar 2017

my personal trumpkin links to them several times a day.
deep ct shit.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»FBI investigating Blightb...