Instagram was Russia's prime tool for spreading disinformation: Details here
We all are aware of the Russian disinformation campaign, where social media platforms, particularly Facebook, were used to influence the 2016 Presidential elections. The case made huge headlines, but now, a comprehensive analysis has revealed that the Russians have shifted their focus toward Instagram. They have been using the Facebook-owned platform more extensively than Facebook itself to carry out the campaign. Here's how.
How Instagram's extensive use was revealed
Two reports commissioned by US Senate Intelligence Committee have revealed that Russia's Internet Research Agency - the troll farm behind the disinformation campaign - used Instagram more extensively. They touched sensitive topics like race, gun control, and immigration with viral memes to suppress voter count and divide/influence Americans. And, the worst part is, the meddlers even received more engagement on Instagram than on Facebook.
Here's what the numbers say
With some 116,000 posts targeting African-Americans, Christians, and feminists, IRA's 133 Instagram accounts gained 3,391,116 followers and more than a whopping 183 million likes, as per CNET. On the contrary, Facebook's 61,500 posts engaged some 77 million users, while Twitter's 10.4 million tweets garnered 73 million engagements. This shift, as the reports suggested, started in 2017 after Facebook and Twitter came under investigation.
Statement from Sen. Richard Burr, the Committee's Chairman
"This newly released data demonstrates how aggressively Russia sought to divide Americans by race, religion and ideology, and how the IRA worked to erode trust in our democratic institutions. Most troublingly, it shows that these activities have not stopped," Senator Burr, the Committee's Chairman, said.
Comment from Facebook on the matter
"Instagram was a significant front in the IRA's influence operation, something that Facebook executives appear to have avoided mentioning in Congressional testimony," the report said. The company has still not commented on the reported shift of IRA's influence on Instagram but has only stated that it has strengthened its efforts and policies to prevent election meddling and will continue to cooperate in the investigation.
