Russian interference

Reports for Senate Intel detail sweep of Russian interference on social media

By CRISTIANO LIMA

Two reports commissioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee out today provide the most detailed look yet at Russian online propaganda efforts — and raise questions about social media companies' cooperation with a probe by the panel.

The two reports, one by New Knowledge and another by the University of Oxford and Graphika, shed light on the sweep of Russian meddling efforts, which included content posted on Facebook, Twitter, Google-owned YouTube, Facebook-owned Instagram, Reddit, Tumblr and Pinterest, among other popular online platforms.

The New Knowledge report also claims social media firms may have chosen to share “the bare minimum possible” amount of data with researchers that Senate Intelligence hired to investigate Russian online propaganda. Twitter and Facebook excluded and in some cases removed data and metadata from the information they supplied Congress, the report says.

Both reports found Russia's digital influence campaigns were heavily in favor of Donald Trump, beginning early in the 2016 presidential primary season. The majority of content, however, was aimed at inflaming tensions around divisive issues, particularly race.

Google and Facebook declined comment. A spokesperson for Twitter said the company has “made significant strides since 2016 to counter manipulation of our service.”