4 September 2020
US presidential election: The return of Russian trolls
Friedolin Merhout, Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and at SODAS, is featured in a France 24 article on a recently uncovered influence operation attributed to the Russian Internet Research Agency. The operation, disguised as a news platform addressing a liberal-leaning audience, appeared to aim to amplify rifts in the Democratic voter base by raising questions about the progressive credentials of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. While this demobilization strategy reflects earlier attempts studied by Friedolin Merhout and collaborators, the content and strategies used to produce it show developments in the IRA’s approach.