The future of disinformation — this time in Mississippi
By MOHAR CHATTERJEE 02/20/2024 05:32 PM EST Updated 02/21/2024 11:56 AM EST
One of the strangest glimpses into the future of information warfare might be what’s happening in Jackson, Miss., where a man named Ramzu Yunus is trying to launch an independent nation for people of African descent on Facebook.
His secessionist movement — while very local and very fringe — already has the backing of an intricate, global cross-platform propaganda network called the Russophere.
Last year, Yunus tried to drum up support for a similar separatist movement in Detroit, and has touted support from Russia on his Facebook page. In Texas, a different Russian influence campaign is amplifying calls for a “Texas secession” and an imminent “civil war” over the border crisis.
What might seem from the outside like an eccentric group of grassroots campaigns is a new front for a global pro-Russia disinformation operation — one that extends to the developing world as well, according to a new report by UK-based AI intelligence group Logically.
Logically’s researchers, who specialize in tracking disinformation networks across social media platforms like Telegram and Facebook, say these online campaigns follow a pattern they’ve seen in Africa, where the Kremlin is stoking anti-colonial sentiment against Western powers.
Nick Backovic, one of the report’s lead researchers, said Yunus’ blatant pro-Russia claims and focus on reaching untapped U.S. audiences with anti-West messaging is an “easily replicable framework” that could “snowball” and potentially destabilize populations across the country.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/digital-future-daily/2024/02/20/the-future-of-disinformation-this-time-in-mississippi-00142297
