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Coordinated Pro-Russian Propaganda Network Targeting ActivityPub and ATProto Services

⁨242⁩ ⁨likes⁩

Submitted ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨onehundredsixtynine@sh.itjust.works⁩ to ⁨fediverse@lemmy.world⁩

https://about.iftas.org/2025/10/05/coordinated-pro-russian-propaganda-network-targeting-activitypub-and-atproto-services/

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Comments

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  • realitista@lemmus.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Yeah it’s called Lemmy.ml, hexbear, lemmygrad.ml

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    • 9point6@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Remember every time we find Putin backed propaganda outside of Russia in the wild, it’s nearly always boosting predominantly conservative viewpoints versus anything else.

      Outside of their borders they’re more interested in people fighting with each other than anything like coming together. Right wing politics is how they do that

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      • troed@fedia.io ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Sorry, but this is wrong. They're also actively sponsoring "left wing" propaganda, to further saw discord. Depending on which group you yourself belong to, it's just easier to spot "the others".

        https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-39592010

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      • masterspace@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Absolutely and utterly false. They try and promote fighting, anger, and distrust of government to everyone.

        They target leftists with things that will upset them, make them angry at the right and the government and sow further discord and polarization.

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      • Jayjader@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

        They have also made calls for BLM-related protests and pushed people to escalate their protests to riots.

        They don’t just push right-wing politics, they manufacture the type of news that feeds into conservative moral panics.

        So don’t assume something isn’t propaganda just because it looks to be against conservative/right-wing politics.

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      • Fizz@lemmy.nz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Thats false, every report ive seen on Russian activity shows that they antagonise both left and right wing people creating and boosting misinformation and organising real world protest events.

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      • goat@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Not entirely true. Russia propaganda targets all extremes

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    • socsa@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Tankies have literally adopted the same rhetoric as MAGA. It could not be more obvious that leftist spaces are absolutely infested with this.

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      • optissima@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Can you cite a source on this?

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      • sunzu2@thebrainbin.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Genocide bas but fuck Ukraine is one thing that both alt left and alt right agree on, coincidentally

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    • optissima@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      This poster right here is a good example on trying to polarize and create infighting.

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      • TORFdot0@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        .ml is moderated to be ideologically one sided. Pro-capitalism is literally not allowed and will deleted. Making a pro-west or anti-China or Russia comment is like a bat signal for .ml admins and users alike to dogpile on your comment.

        It’s their right to moderate their instance how they see fit, but removing content on ideological grounds is going to result in people thinking what’s left is propaganda.

        For the most part I like .ml users, I don’t care for the admin team and moderator decisions and that’s why I’m not on that instance. I could care less about the fact my instance is defederated from hexbear users or grad users. They do want to be polarizing and live in a propaganda bubble

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      • Lemminary@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        The better example is having lived it. Nobody’s better at it than the .ml + Hexbear circlejerk itself. They’re the sole reason I’m on this server now.

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    • altkey@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      I wouldn’t call them that. Most if not all of them are genuine people with some having accs for many years before Reddit crossed the line for most of us and them becoming anyhow relevant to interfere. In a recent hexbearean post about fediverse negativity I’ve read a couple of opinions with a notion that federating with others wasn’t that great, and they were pretty happy just by themselves. I assume, it’s the same for other two too. That’s a game too long and effortful to be a psyop imho. Their positions and where they get their info are things to argue, but let’s not get as far as dehumanizing them.

      Almost everywhere I soundly proclaim that I am a russian dummy anarchist, that I live in that state for I have no options, and I angrily disagree with their fascination, mystification of what it is, I hold a grudge with anyone who wants that russki mir to be the model the whole world should share.

      I, nevertheless, find a lot of points, like personal stuff and grieveancies, theoretical things, sympathy to protesters, to Gazan survivors that I share with them. Unlike transparently racist/fascist troll comms that were there, unlike their campaigns I’ve noticed, there is a huge population of real people worthy of talking, arguing with.

      Call me any names and ban me, but as long as any person or community is supportive of basic pillar causes like body autonomy, you, like, can at least talk to them and find something in common.

      What I missed though, is that Diva said the same, but misleadingly doubted the existence of russian bot networks. Them and state suppression ruined the rusophonic space to that degree I dropped it altogether. I don’t know how their actions affected other countries, but as a nolifer shitposting addict trying to trust them just a bit, I came through fire, water and copper tubes before dropping them altogether. They are like current Twitter, but worse. And, well, fuck, I wasn’t abandoning that to find the next option already corrupted.

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      • Diva@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

        misleadingly doubted the existence of russian bot networks

        don’t get me wrong, I know these exist. I am just expressing skepticism because people on the English speaking Internet will act like every reply they don’t like is a bot puppeteered by foreign intelligence.

        It’s just more likely to be a normal person and any state actors are probably going to be focusing on the corporate-run social media spaces

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      • realitista@lemmus.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        You don’t have to be aware that you are a Russian asset/propagandist to be one. A couple useful definitions

        Intelligence Asset Useful Idiot

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    • morrowind@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Bro trust me I’ve been around since the start, it would be less weird if they WERE paid.

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      • realitista@lemmus.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        I never claimed they were paid ;-)

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  • BaroqueInMind@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Dear russian psyop soldier reading this, fuck you. Love, me.

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  • Diva@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    red scare never ended

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    • foggy@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Found the Russian.

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    • aliser@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      yeah lets pretend that propaganda does not exist I wonder who would want that

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      • Diva@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        “I have to admit, I’m always so impressed by Soviet propaganda. You really know how to get people worked up,” the CIA agent says.

        “Thank you,” the KGB agent says. “We do our best but truly, it’s nothing compared to American propaganda. Your people believe everything your state media tells them.”

        The CIA agent drops his drink in shock and disgust. “Thank you friend, but you must be confused… There’s no propaganda in America.”

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    • herseycokguzelolacak@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Lots of people can no stand the fact that you don’t agree with them. They will accuse you of being a bot or something, rather than to accept the fact that people have different opinions on things.

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    • RepleteLocum@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      It’s not that I don’t like you, but it’s just weird.

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  • SunSunFuego@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    everyone i dislike is a russian bot.

    also: пошел нахуй путин

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    • frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Except this comes from aggregated data from across the service. It’s not a matter of “I don’t like that post, must be bot”.

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  • frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    The network includes accounts impersonating reputable news outlets such as BBC News, Euronews, and Meduza, designed to give credibility to Telegram propaganda links. We believe it may be connected to the “Pravda/Portal Kombat” pro-Russia propaganda network.

    Accounts are hosted across numerous Mastodon instances and bridged into Bluesky, creating the appearance of independent sources. Activity on Bluesky helped reveal aggregate patterns, identical usernames, posting schedules, and content themes more clearly than across decentralised Mastodon services.

    If your first reaction was to post “posts I dislike are Russian bots”, then you haven’t actually grasped the argument. It has nothing to do with anyone disagreeing with specific posts.

    It’s also very telling that you’re reflexively posting that when it says nothing about the data being presented.

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    • comfy@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Hey, actually reading the article is cheating!

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  • HubertManne@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    The fact the comments here are so contentious is just funny. I will block as is appropriate but so far have not had to do to much of it on the fediverse. Man it needs to be reciprical though so their training is limited.

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  • theacharnian@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Excellent opportunity to prove the superiority of our localized moderation model!

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  • herseycokguzelolacak@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Pro-Russian propaganda is euphemism for ‘‘stuff I disagree with’’.

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    • Skavau@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      You think that’s literally always the case? Really?

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  • altkey@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    There are obviously agents from elsewhere, and some of them may be pretty effective, but it’s nothing compared to Trump and Co getting money from the likes of Saudis and acting like they own the place. If the main concern is american politics, well, the real worms aren’t theoretical or real foreign enemies, but corrupted fuckheads that ignore human, state rights, shutdown government, pack people from the streets to deport. No enemy could’ve done such damage so-called friends are doing.

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    • frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      The rise in right-wing nationalism has been notable across Europe, as well. The US is just ahead of the curve.

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      • captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Leading the Western world, as usual.

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  • REDACTED@infosec.pub ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Hello lemmy.ca/u/humanspiral

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  • dickalan@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    I don’t matter this is basically Russian propaganda too I don’t trust anybody or anyone which is what they wanted

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  • 0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Most effortless and effective blame offloading “news” of the century.

    I guess I’m ruzzian now.

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