There is still a lot of fake news about corona virus. Some observers believe that Russian agencies are deliberately spreading disinformation in order to fuel mistrust in western institutions and health systems. However, experts now point out that the domestic Russian audience could be the main target of the campaigns.
The British government has also set up a special unit to combat disinformation about the corona virus by hostile states or cybercriminals. It works with social media companies to refute false or misleading claims about the disease.
Russia Sponsored Cyber Campaigns
In fact, Facebook apparently had difficulty getting concrete evidence from the US State Department about allegedly Russia sponsored disinformation campaigns. The company called on the US government to provide more evidence to support their claims, while Twitter also said it had found no significant evidence for a coordinated coronavirus disinformation campaign. In principle, it is possible that coronavirus disinformation propagated by Russia is directed against the US and Europe, but there is not really much evidence for this. Russian disinformation campaigns could therefore mainly target the domestic audience in order to address anti western feelings. Thus, responsibility could be shifted to the west if the Russian authorities were unable to stop the epidemic from spreading domestically.
Is There A Plan Behind Such Contrary Claims?
It is about confusing European citizens that the goal is to sow disunity and distrust. The spokesman for the European External Action Service said: “We have noticed that there is an increase in the amount of false information from outside the EU, and provider based sources “. Russia is not the only place of origin, but whoever spreads it plays with people’s lives. With its various methods and channels, Russian disinformation remains a powerful tool for questioning the political order in Europe. And based on the strategic goals of Russian foreign policy, it won’t end soon.
