Putin Trolls the U.S. Internet
A group in Russia uses social media to spread phony news stories and propaganda in America.
Last Sept. 11, this “news” broke on Twitter: “A powerful explosion heard miles away happened at a chemical plant in Centerville, La., #ColumbianChemicals.” Another tweet linked to a screenshot purporting to show the story featured on CNN. Another pointed to a YouTube video of ISIS claiming responsibility.
It took two hours for Columbian Chemicals to catch up and put out the truth: There was no explosion and the “news” was fabricated. “Personally, I think it’s just a real sad, sick sense of humor,” the head of the local...