Berlin (d.de) – EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell has warned against fake information disseminated by foreign actors, especially ahead of elections such as the upcoming European election. In a report, the EU’s diplomatic service (EEAS) has listed 750 cases of targeted disinformation by foreign actors, reports Deutsche Welle (DW). According to the report, most of the fake news originates in Russia, which is “attempting to justify its war of aggression against Ukraine”. Ukraine, the USA, Germany and Poland are particularly affected. The EEAS has also reported on fake information that specifically aims to undermine gender justice.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Federal Foreign Office has uncovered a large-scale pro-Russian disinformation campaign on the platform X. 50,000 fake user accounts were used to try to convince people that Germany’s support for Ukraine came at the expense of the country’s own citizens. Since 20 December 2023, more than a million tweets were posted in the space of one month. The fake accounts often featured links to fake websites and only took breaks at weekends and on Russian public holidays. (with dpa)