davidm
August 24, 2018, 10:16am
1
Researchers found bots and Russian trolls mentioned vaccines more often than the average Twitter account over a three-year period, but for different reasons. Russian trolls stoked the debate by tweeting pro- and anti-vaccine messages in an apparent attempt to sow division, while bots that spread malicious software appeared to use anti-vaccine messages that inflame strong responses from both sides to attract clicks.
“Apparently only the elite get ‘clean’ #vaccines . And what do we, normal ppl, get?! #VaccinateUS ,” a Russian troll account tweeted in one of the messages that stood out to researchers because of the unusual line it drew between vaccine fearmongering and income inequality.
“That’s not something you see from an antivaxxer,” said David Broniatowski, an engineer at George Washington University who led the research published in the American Journal of Public Health. “Elites getting clean vaccines — we thought that was very unique to the Russian trolls and could be interpreted as an attempt to link vaccination to a specific division within American society.”
I’m starting to wonder just how much of the divisions in this country are due to Russian psyops.
Russia is also trying to influence debate about GMOs in the United States.
At this point I wouldn’t be surprised to find that Russians are the ones behind the under/over toilet paper debate.
EDIT: Also that thing a couple years ago, with the dress that was either blue and black or white and brown? Totally the Russians.
I’m going to disagree with you…there is no vaccine controversy. There are those who vaccinate their children and those who are ignorant nitwits. I can see the bots stirring up trouble, but there is no “controversy.”
Nowhere in there does it say that one side isn’t a set of ignorant nitwits.