# Washington Post: Russian trolls and Twitter bots exploit vaccine controversy **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 24, 2018, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-trolls-and-twitter-bots-exploit-vaccine-controversy/820175 "2018-08-24T10:16:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-trolls-and-twitter-bots-exploit-vaccine-controversy/820175/1 "2018-08-24T10:16:03Z")
> **[Russian trolls and Twitter bots exploit vaccine controversy](https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2018/08/23/russian-trolls-twitter-bots-exploit-vaccine-controversy/)** > > Public health experts trying to fight the spread of misinformation on vaccines are up against Russian trolls and Twitter bots. > [@](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-trolls-and-twitter-bots-exploit-vaccine-controversy/820175/2 "2018-08-24T13:40:07Z")
Russia is also trying to [influence debate about GMOs](https://gizmodo.com/iowa-researchers-accuse-russia-of-injecting-anti-gmo-pr-1823364808) in the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-trolls-and-twitter-bots-exploit-vaccine-controversy/820175/3 "2018-08-24T15:41:18Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-trolls-and-twitter-bots-exploit-vaccine-controversy/820175/4 "2018-08-24T19:26:39Z")
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.” ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-trolls-and-twitter-bots-exploit-vaccine-controversy/820175/5 "2018-08-25T03:53:58Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > 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.” > [@](#): > > Definition of controversy > plural controversies > 1 : a discussion marked especially by the expression of opposing views : dispute > > ``` > The decision aroused a controversy among the students. > > ``` Nowhere in there does it say that one side isn’t a set of ignorant nitwits. My wife has a book on the vaccine controversy in production, so let’s not suppress the sales, shall we?