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By : The federal indictments special counsel Robert Mueller handed down a few days ago confirmed that Russian agents did, indeed, use social media to interfere with the 2016 presidential election—and, even more than that, to sow political animosity, heighten divisions, and pit Americans against one another. Several workers at a Russian "troll farm" have now confirmed the thrust of the indictment.
As Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said when the indictments were announced, "the Russian conspirators want to promote discord in the United States and undermine public confidence in democracy. We must not allow them to succeed."
Absolutely right. But how to stop them? Lyudmilla Savchuk—a worker at the troll farm—has explained how Russian agents take pains to hide their true identity: "The most important principle of the work is to have an account like a real person. They create real characters, choosing a gender, a name, a place of living and an occupation. Therefore, it's hard to tell that the account was made for the propaganda."
That ability to blend in with online communities raises several troubling questions, the most disturbing of which might be: What if YOU are a Russian troll who sows animosity, heightens division, and pits Americans against one another—and you don't even know it?