Yhn BusinessLabor first seen 3 d ago, last 28 min ago, peak #9
Ukrainian Drone Strike Fueled Viral Rumor About Russian Bot Farm
Original: Drone Strikes Didn't Take Out Russian Bot Farm, but We Were Primed to Believe It
A Ukrainian drone strike on the Russian tech company Yandex set off a wave of viral claims that the attack had destroyed a Russian bot farm producing pro-Kremlin propaganda and far-right content for audiences in the US, Germany and the UK. Reporting found the story was not true: the strike did not wipe out any disinformation operation. The episode is being discussed as a case study in how readily audiences accept conspiracy-flavored rumors that fit their existing beliefs about Russian influence campaigns.
Why now: The false rumor spread rapidly because it confirmed widespread assumptions about Russian disinformation targeting Western politics.
YandexUkraineRussiaMother Jones
Rank over time, top of the chart is #1. 9 snapshots from 11 h ago to 28 min ago.
Evidence
API: https://socialmediatrends-api.osmike.com/v1/trends/2204518