Russian influence op keeps trying but struggles to win hearts and minds | CyberScoop<\/title> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Russian influence op keeps trying but struggles to win hearts and minds\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Meta researchers said the influence operation known as Doppelganger continues to target European elections and Ukraine policy with little impact.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CyberScoop\"> <meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-05-29T15:00:00+00:00\"> <meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-05-29T14:57:23+00:00\"> <meta 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<\/head><body class=\"post-template-default single single-post postid-80577 single-format-standard\" id=\"readabilityBody\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds\/#main\" class=\"skip-to-content-link visually-hidden-focusable\">Skip to main content<\/a> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-desktop\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <main id=\"main\" role=\"main\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-mobile\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"stickybar\" class=\"stickybar stickybar--newsletter js-stickybar\" readability=\"0.82\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"24.965478841871\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"29.712643678161\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/news\/threats\/cybercrime\/\"> <span>Cybercrime<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> Meta researchers said the influence operation known as Doppelganger continues to target European elections and Ukraine policy with little impact. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds.jpg?resize=640%2C426&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds-2.jpg 3750w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds-2.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds-2.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds-2.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds-2.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds-2.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds-2.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds-2.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds-2.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\"><figcaption> A European flag with a message saying \u201cuse your vote\u201d at the Brussels Pride event is pictured on May 18, 2024 in Brussels. (Photo by LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ\/BELGA MAG\/AFP via Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"49.290611312131\"><body readability=\"98.830691185796\"><\/p>\n<p>An online influence campaign linked to Russia has shifted tactics to avoid being discovered as it continues to target upcoming elections in Europe, according to new research from Meta.<\/p>\n<p>The efforts by Doppelganger, a threat group that has been linked to Russian government contractors and President Vladimir Putin, to influence online debate <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/russia-ai-propaganda-news\/\">has been relatively unsuccessful<\/a>, according to Meta\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/transparency.meta.com\/error\/not-found\/\">quarterly threat report<\/a> released Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>According to the company, the operation, which is one of the most prolific influence operation in history, continues to spread narratives focused on blunting Western aid to Ukraine. To do so, Meta researchers said Doppelganger\u2019s operations continue to resemble a \u201csmash-and-grab\u201d effort defined by \u201cexpending a large amount of resources in the face of a very high detection rate and daily loss of assets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In a briefing with reporters, Mike Dvilyanski, Meta\u2019s head of threat investigations, said increased scrutiny from governments and researchers over the past two years has led Doppelganger to switch up the core tactics it has relied on for laundering propaganda across social networks.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Most notably, the operation is no longer relying on the impersonation and spoofing of government and media websites that earned the group its moniker, at least on Meta\u2019s range of social media apps. The group initially leaned heavily on linking to typo-squatted versions of more well-known websites, but as those domains were flagged and blocked, the group had to fall back to using redirect links with long or unrelated strings in the URL, something that made the links stand out more as obvious fakes and reducing click rates, Meta said in its report.<\/p>\n<p>Dvilyanski said that since April, the group has stopped sharing typo-squatted and redirect links on Meta\u2019s platforms altogether as the company has blocked users and infrastructure associated with the campaign. As part of the report\u2019s release, the company is uploading a fresh batch of more than 600 threat indicators associated with the group on its <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/facebook\/threat-research\">GitHub repository<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOver time, we\u2019ve seen that forcing them to adapt as we keep on improving our defenses degrades the quality of the operation overall,\u201d Dvilyanski said.<\/p>\n<p>The research comes as experts and politicians in Europe have said they are concerned about a surge of Russian-backed disinformation ahead of European Union elections scheduled for early June. <\/p>\n<p>Ursula von der Leyen has made the topic a top campaign issue as she runs for a second term as EU president, pledging to create a \u201cEuropean Democracy Shield\u201d to protect against foreign election interference. Von der Leyen is a member of the Christian Democratic Union, the German political party that was targeted in<a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cozy-bear-russia-spearphishing-germany\/\"> a spearphishing campaign<\/a> earlier this year by Russia\u2019s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The sheer volume and scale of Doppelganger\u2019s influence network means social media platforms like Meta will continue to monitor the group\u2019s activity. However, researchers emphasized that<a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/ahead-of-2024-election-meta-worries-about-lack-of-information-on-top-tier-nation-state-covert-operations\/\"> they continue to believe<\/a> the level of effort observed around Doppelganger\u2019s campaigns tends to significantly outstrip their impact on national debates.<\/p>\n<p>David Agranovich, the policy director for threat disruption at Meta, told reporters that Doppelganger\u2019s content over the past 20 months, which has largely focused on pushing narratives that undermine U.S. and Western support for Ukraine, has been unyielding but also \u201ccrude and largely ineffective at building authentic audiences on social media.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meta has previously flagged two Russian companies, Structura National Technologies and the Social Design Agency, as contractors behind Doppelganger working on behalf of the Russian government. Both companies have been sanctioned by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consilium.europa.eu\/en\/press\/press-releases\/2023\/07\/28\/information-manipulation-in-russia-s-war-of-aggression-against-ukraine-eu-lists-seven-individuals-and-five-entities\/\">European Union<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/public-inspection.federalregister.gov\/2024-06235.pdf\">United States<\/a>, and seen their infrastructure curtailed by platforms.<\/p>\n<p>But Agranovich said for-hire groups like the ones behind Doppelganger \u201care paid to keep trying as long as their client\u2019s operational objectives remain,\u201d and no amount of disruption is likely to deter them so long as Moscow continues writing checks. <\/p>\n<p>Indeed, the group often attempts to twist takedowns and exposure of their operations by researchers, governments and media into tools to bolster their image as master manipulators.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cWhen they get caught, we expect them to try to use their notoriety to gain attention, to try to create the perception that they\u2019re everywhere and are having a bunch of impact,\u201d Agranovich said. \u201cThis can both benefit their business by making the services look more effective, and it can accomplish the goal of their operation to undermine broad confidence and public discourse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"3.776493256262\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"13\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Derek B. Johnson\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Derek B. Johnson<\/h4>\n<p> Derek B. Johnson is a reporter at CyberScoop, where his beat includes cybersecurity, elections and the federal government. Prior to that, he has provided award-winning coverage of cybersecurity news across the public and private sectors for various publications since 2017. 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{"id":3784,"date":"2024-05-29T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-29T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=80577"},"modified":"2024-05-29T10:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T15:00:00","slug":"russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2024\/05\/29\/russian-influence-op-keeps-trying-but-struggles-to-win-hearts-and-minds\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian influence op keeps trying but struggles to win hearts and minds"},"content":{"rendered":"