Cybersecurity
Russian Hackers Fueled Catalan Separatism, Madrid Institute Says
- Disinformation spread on Facebook, Twitter, analyst says
- Assange, Snowden singled out for their impact on debate
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Spain’s struggle to quash separatism in its Catalonia region was disrupted by Russian hackers agitating for a break-up, in a hallmark propaganda effort to fracture Europe, according to a government-backed research institute in Madrid.
The unidentified Russians spread both true and false messages on Facebook and Twitter during the illegal separatist referendum on Oct. 1, according to Mira Milosevich, a senior analyst at the Elcano Royal Institute. The “dezinformatsiya” campaign deployed trolls, bots and fake accounts, and was backed by intense coverage from Russia’s state-supported television, she said.