Reports: Russian Bots Propping Up Ingraham In Tiff With Shooting Survivor

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo



By Nicole Lafond | April 2, 2018 2:34 pm

Russian bots have reportedly latched on to Fox News host Laura Ingraham in her crusade to mock a high school student who survived the massacre at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last month, according to Hamilton 68, a website that tracks the unfurling of Russian disinformation on Twitter.

Over the weekend, the use of the hashtag “#IstandwithLaura” jumped 2,800 percent in 48 hours, The Washington Post was first to report Monday. The Post also cited the website botcheck.me, which tracks 1,500 different political propaganda bots, found that Ingraham’s, Fox News’ and the high school student David Hogg’s Twitter accounts were in the top six Twitter handles being tweeted by Russian-linked accounts over the weekend.

Russian Twitter bots have been spreading false information about the Florida high school shooting since it happened last month, when a 19-year-old former student opened fire at the high school, killing 17 people and injuring dozens. Student survivors like Hogg have since been advocating for tighter gun legislation and even organized a national school walk out and a march on Washington, D.C. to push for gun control policy.

Far-right conspiracists have seized on the students and their focused message, claiming the high schoolers are “crisis actors” or being paid by left-leaning groups. Ingraham last week tweeted a story from The Daily Wire, mocking Hogg for getting rejected from four colleges in California, including UCLA.



Read more: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/reports-russian-bots-propping-ingraham

[poboy2]

1. Fascinating. They are the unofficial FORCE MULTIPLIER of the GOPropaganda machine. -nt

[dalton99a]

2. Perfect description.

[Corgigal]

3. Well they gotta make that 800 a month some how.

Opps, meant 750 now, oligarchs got a cost of living increase this month.

[Le Gaucher]

4. Why the bloody fuck doesn't Twitter take down these fucking bots.

First it needs to implement IP filtration based on volume from IP.

Second look at rate of tweets .. an bot can clearly type and tweet faster or at a higher volume.

Lastly maybe it can use some kinda AI based tools to sniff out bots.

Or maybe Twitter likes these bots.

[UpInArms]

8. Russia is heavily invested in Twitter

Russia funded Facebook and Twitter investments through Kushner investor

Twitter confirms 'significant' round of funding led by Russian investment company

Yuri Milner’s big investments in Twitter and Facebook have now been tied to the Russian government

[raven mad]

5. Because it's chilly out& a little snowy,

I reminded myself that I choose to live here.

I did NOT expect to wake up this morning in sTrumPutin's Siberia. I trust nothing Sinclair touches. They are worse than garbage.

Excellent post, Don Viejo and I thank you.

[Maxheader]

6. Look for the roosky

bots to use blackmail someday...
"we shut down americon power grid for trying to find us"

[Farmer-Rick]

7. Without Russia the GOP would have failed 4 years ago

They were swirling in the toiet bowl. But Putin reached in and pulled out their turds, wiped off their urine and toilet water, and took over congress and then presidency. Tiny little Putin and his bald smirking face saved the GOP from dying out.

Too bad, Putin is a turd lover.

[truthisfreedom]

9. So utterly disgusting.

Fuck pootin.

[TalenaGor]

10. what are the odds that a significant amount of rightie support so n general are bots?

Picture this :

Trump approval rating amongst americans- 12%
Trump approval rating amongst Russian Bots - 95%
Trump average approval rating - 53.5%