US and International Partners Disable AI-enabled Bot Farm Used for Disinformation
The United States Department of Justice, in collaboration with Canadian and Dutch authorities, has seized two domain names reportedly linked to Russian-backed hackers. These hackers are alleged to have propagated disinformation through social media platforms.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a stark cybersecurity advisory in partnership with international bodies, explaining the modus operandi of an artificially intelligent (AI) social media bot farm. This bot farm, bearing the code-name “Meliorator“, allegedly utilized and manipulated multiple social media accounts, giving the impression of authenticity.
Claims suggest that Meliorator created mock accounts that were seemingly based out of the United States. These phony accounts were presumably used to disseminate pro-Russian narratives and disinformation on Twitter, cleverly mimicking genuine users’ tones and styles.
The US Justice Department has confiscated two domain names – “MLRTR.com” and “OTANMAIL.com”, both used to register these bot profiles. The botnet linked to the campaign comprised a total of 968 Twitter accounts that have subsequently been investigated.
Meliorator’s activities initiated in early 2022 when an individual from a state-operated Russian news organization RT proactively sought different methods for information distribution beyond the conventional TV news broadcasts.
As per the FBI, the Meliorator bot farm project was eventually integrated into an operation run by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), designed to sow discord in the United States. The operation reportedly received approval from the Kremlin.
Several pro-Russian posts disseminated on Twitter by the bot farm included tweets from a supposedly US citizen. One such tweet included a video with Russian President Putin arguing the rationale behind Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The authorities’ investigations revealed other similar instances. For example, an alleged Minneapolis resident released a video of President Putin expressing his views that parts of Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania were “gifts” from Russian forces that liberated them from Nazi control during World War II.
“Today’s steps highlight that the Justice Department and our partners will not stand for Russian government actors and their agents using AI to propagate disinformation and create division among Americans,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.
The US Justice Department proclaimed its readiness to prioritize actions that disrupt the misuse of AI technologies in conjunction with its international partners and the private sector. The department remains resolute, determined not to hesitate in taking necessary actions, such as shutting down bot farms and seizing unlawfully acquired internet domains, among different measures to counter malicious actors.
The US officials requested Twitter, formerly known as X, to suspend the remaining bot accounts for breaching the terms of service, and seized the domains that were used to create the said accounts.
The Justice Department continues its ongoing investigation, stating – “With these steps, the Justice Department has disrupted a Russian-backed, AI-enabled disinformation campaign utilizing a bot farm to propagate falsehoods in the United States and abroad,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
The relentless efforts of the Justice Department in deploying all possible legal authorities to counter Russian aggression and protect American people are notable, especially as the Russian government continues its rigorous warfare in Ukraine and threatens democracies worldwide.
Need security services for your WordPress site? Contact DrGlenn for protection and recovery. Order Services Today!.