215 accounts were found that use a special type of URL that is used to track the effectiveness of the campaign. An influence operation, an operation that reposts old news stories as though they are new, tries to sway social media public opinion. These new accounts were found posting news articles from November 13th, 2015. All 215 accounts also seem to have identical coding and identical short URL’s which leads researchers to believe that all the accounts are owned and operated by the same organization. These style of accounts are routinely found and removed by whomever the account is registered through, but new accounts are created as fast as they can be closed. It is also believed that with the speed, capability, and efficacy of this operation, it most likely is being run by either a nation-state or political organization in an attempt to sway public opinion for whatever benefits them.
Analyst Notes
Campaigns such as these will continually occur. Users are recommended to check the dates and authenticity of any and all articles that are shared with them.
