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EU claims evidence that Russia tried to stoke divisions in its election

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Report finds online outlets spread disinformation, and bots and fake accounts amplified the effect

Nathalie Loiseau, head of the Renaissance list for the European elections, holds a European flag at the end of a political rally with French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, in Strasbourg, France, on May 11, 2019. Picture: REUTERS/VINCENT KESSLER

“The evidence revealed a continued and sustained disinformation activity by Russian sources aiming to suppress turnout and influence voter preferences,” it said.However, the EU report said some 1,000 such cases were detected by a dedicated task force, whose staff was more than doubled to 16 ahead of the European Parliament election. The unit monitors and fact-checks reports by foreign groups but is not equipped with the tools of an intelligence agency to investigate cyber campaigns.

“It’s not necessarily about breaking the law, but it is about attempting to mislead,” EU security commissioner Julian King said. Bots and fake accounts were used to amplify these efforts, King said, with one such network promoting anti-Islam hashtags.

 

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