Perdue Claims Russia is Utilizing Social Media to Divide and Weaken the United States

OPINION

During the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014, Igor Dobrovolsky, a Ukrainian digital marketing specialist and designer, observed the increasing influence of social media as a source of information in Ukraine.

In a recent interview, Dobrovolsky elaborated on the situation, stating, “The problem was the abundance of disinformation, which we could always track back to Russia.”

Upon further investigation, Dobrovolsky and his team discovered the existence of large Russian “troll factories” where individuals, referred to as “trolls,” generated and spread misleading content.

These troll factories unleashed pro-Russia, anti-Ukraine propaganda across various social media platforms, causing discord and manipulating political outcomes, as discussed in my conversation with Dobrovolsky.

He found that these Russian troll factories could employ hundreds, or even up to a thousand individuals, engaged in activities like content creation, social media management, graphic design, data analysis, and administration. Working in shifts, they maintained a continuous online presence across different platforms and time zones.

Dobrovolsky and his associates started monitoring the situation closely, uncovering that the Russian operatives studied Ukrainian affairs to exploit areas of disagreement among the populace.

They would then use fake internet accounts to provoke conflict and undermine social cohesion in Ukraine.

To illustrate this tactic, Dobrovolsky provided a hypothetical scenario involving New York City, demonstrating how Russian operatives aimed to incite division and confusion to manipulate public opinion.

He emphasized the need for the West to combat Russian propaganda by targeting their information space with truthful and persuasive messaging tailored to resonate with Russian audiences.

Despite challenges like social media restrictions in Russia, Dobrovolsky proposed leveraging Ukrainians, who are fluent in Russian and familiar with Russian culture, to deliver impactful messages that counteract Russian disinformation.

He stressed the importance of defending democratic values by exposing and debunking falsehoods spread by authoritarian regimes, highlighting the role of truth in preserving societal integrity.

Mitzi Perdue, a Harvard graduate, writer, and humanitarian, is the author of the award-winning biography “Relentless” and the wife of the late Frank Perdue, former CEO of Perdue Farms.