Russia: The Origins of Digital Misinformation

The Russian government’s digital propaganda seeks to insulate Putin’s leadership from any domestic challengers and aid in his foreign policy ventures, which increasingly set Russian interests off against the West. Yet the propaganda tools, including trolls and bots, were conceived and perfected in the pockets of political competition and a globally integrated market economy still left in Putin’s Russia. This chapter discusses how the vibrant Russian blogosphere, left unattended by the government and laser-focused on taking over the traditional media, created the demand for sophisticated online propaganda and censorship tools. It also discusses how the advanced Russian online media and tech sector helped to meet this demand. It concludes with a preliminary report on the detection and exposure of government propaganda online, which could be applicable beyond Russia.