MNHQ - do you think that there were Russian trolls operating on Mumsnet during the Brexit debates?

Yep, I really don't anticipate it being limited to Russia. That's just the example we're seeing playing out big time at the moment.

Apologies for earlier typo. Sentence should read:
The White House daren't investigate or even acknowledge Russian interference because it thinks (knows?) it benefitted from it.

I suspect it's not only Russian interference some parties or candidates are worried about. They will be worried about people poking their noses at how their campaigns are run and financed. Pretty much all of them.

There are also many changes Russia (or any other interfering power) can ring on contamination.

Even if their interference was not material to the governing party's win, they can persuade the governing party it was. Play the Murdoch – "Pander to us or we'll withdraw support, or even support the other guys."

If a party gets in which Russia (or whoever) doesn't like, Russia can pretend to have supported that party – and undermine the legitimacy of the win.

The only defence against it is going to be a united front, where no one is scared to say, "A foreign power is trying to weigh in, in our favour. We acknowledge it, and repudiate it." Like all blackmail, it's only really effective when there's a secret.

The problem of contamination by Russian "help" is really bothering me.

We're seeing it in the US at the moment.

The White House daren't investigate or even Russian interference because it thinks (knows?) it benefitted from it.

Republican politicians daren't acknowledge Russian interference because they believe they benefitted from it.

A failed Democratic candidate, Bernie Sanders, is avoiding questions much about Russian interference because there's now evidence Russia tried to "benefit" him.

So Russia gets to simultaneously interfere in elections and have the government in the country it attacked cover up for it. Highly successful for Russia; deeply crap for the country on the receiving end.

I'm extremely concerned this will happen in the UK as well.

A poll where Russia may have interfered was Brexit, which was cross-party, and we don't yet have a refusal to acknowledge by the governing party here. And I've been really encouraged by the co-operative work of the cross-party DCMS Commons committee investigating fake news, which yesterday was questioning Alexander Nix of Cambridge Analytica.

But it's critical we maintain that ecumenical attitude to defence.

Because as soon as a party/faction comes into government in the UK that believes it owes anything to any foreign power (which could be China or other countries), then that party will try to deny the "help" – and stymie investigations and defensive measures for fear of losing its position in government .

Many non-Trump Republicans are demonstrating this only too clearly right now.

'it makes debate impossible.

I think we're due another influx.

They're very irritating. I know that's the point - the aim is to make any debate so frustrating and shit that it makes debate possible - but it's frustrating to acknowledge that it is very effective.

although thinking about we seem to be now as a nation so who knows

I doubt it, they are only interested in trump because he's so stupid and easy to manipulate

Totally agreed Lweji.

We've just had a thread, now deleted, when the loony raving OP didn't even know how Southern Ireland was called.

If that wasn't a Russian troll (or a close equivalent) I'll eat my hat.

I remember a few insisting on how popular Putin was

I think there are real British people out there who are quite pro Putin. I have a couple on my FB - they are Scottish nationalists and definitely real people. They fit a particular profile to whom authoritarians seem to appeal (pro capital punishment for eg). Given the increasing daily expressification of mumsnet it would be surprising if that group wasn't represented here.

I was on the EU ref board a lot pre-referendum and while there may have been some Russian activity, the talking points being pushed by the most active shills were very closely aligned to whatever Cummings et al were pushing at the time.

sheldon and faith the Russians have no interest in swinging the vote towards Remain. All the Russian shills were in favour of Brexit.

I reported loads of posters to MNHQ during Brexit (and more recently).

There were definitely Russian shills on here.

I doubt there were Russians on mumsnet.

Oh, but there were/are.

I remember a few insisting on how popular Putin was. They couldn't stand for any criticism of the boss.

MN may be somewhat niche, but it has a decent political profile.

Tbh I doubt there were Russians on mumsnet. It's a bit niche.

There were some very active shills on here but they were more likely linked to the vote leave campaign itself, based on the arguments used and the way they changed over time - especially the way the argument evolved from "we'll be like Norway", via Switzerland, Lichtenstein and Iceland all the way to (IIRC) Albania.

Why do you think it's weird there aren't loads of threads about the Russian elections then?

I'm not sure what you're trying to say.

Thanks for letting me know. Not sure why it is relevant to what you said.

Lweji as usual, speaks sense.

There was always something off about some of the posters on the EU and Trump stuff on the politics boards. I reported one for a series of personal attacks based on line of questioning that was trying to imply that my argument was invalid because I wasn’t white British ( I am, not that it should make a difference)

Also, beware when pps start peddling conspiracy theories.

Pps who aren't in favour of XXX, but for some reason post lots of arguments for it.
Or haven't made up their minds, but only post in favour of...

And the bots who post mostly links. And misunderstand some questions or use odd argumentation.

We've been looking into some posters behind the scenes. If you think of any more, give us a shout

Hmmm

Too little too late...

I remember reporting a few later missing posters before the US election.

I can only imagine that they were all (including) claig hit by a bus in the beginning of 2017.

If people think Russian trolls is a new thing, they're very much mistaken. I had read about it well before Brexit.

2015 report, which means they had been operating for years by then.
Wake up people.

www.google.pt/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/02/putin-kremlin-inside-russian-troll-house

Weirdly there is no thread about the Russian elections which start in only a few weeks!

Ummm.

Yes, the point is to destabilize the West. It is working. They might not 'win' the game but they will ruin the field.

Oh god yes, "Jenna Abrams." Russian troll presenting as rightwing all American gal – for three years.

Lured in thousands of good faith followers and even got quoted by news organisations.

From that Philly link:
In addition to the Abrams account, several other popular conservative social media personalities — @LauraBaeley, SouthLoneStar, Ten_GOP — were all revealed to be troll accounts. All have been deactivated on Twitter.

According to the Daily Beast, the agency developed a following around the Abrams account by offering humorous, seemingly non-political takes on pop culture figures like Kim Kardashian. The agency also furnished the fake account, which dates back to 2014, with a personal website, a Gmail account and even a GoFundMe page.

Once the Abrams account began to develop a following, the tone of its tweets shifted from pokes and prods at celebrities to divisive views on hot topics like immigration and segregation.

See also,

www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2017/nov/03/jenna-abrams-the-trump-loving-twitter-star-who-never-really-existed

And

www.forbes.com/sites/chrisladd/2017/11/20/jenna-abrams-is-not-real-and-that-matters-more-than-you-think/