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From early June to late July 2024, Russian actors conducted a series of sophisticated information operations under the code name “Doppelgänger.” These campaigns were particularly active during the unexpected snap elections in France, prompting an investigation by HarfangLab specialists.
Key Details of Operation “Doppelgänger”:
- Disinformation Tactics: The operations involve mimicking popular news websites to disseminate fake news, aiming to undermine trust in official Western media, manipulate public opinion, and destabilize political situations in target countries.
- Redirect Chain: A complex chain of redirects is used to distribute content. Social media accounts post links to “1st level redirectors,” leading to custom redirect pages that instantly redirect to final disinformation sites.
- Social Media Utilization: Platforms like X are primary channels for disseminating disinformation. Approximately 800 accounts, often posing as cryptocurrency or Web3 influencers and operated by bots, were identified as spreading these links.
- Targeted Sites:
- Fabricated News Sites: Such as rrn[.]media, franceeteu[.]today, and derbayerischelowe[.]info.
- Doppelgänger Sites: Mimicking legitimate publications like www.leparisien[.]wf and www.spiegel[.]ltd.
- Provocative Legitimate Sites: Examples include stratpol[.]com and liberationnews[.]org.
Impact and Objectives:
- Destabilization Efforts: The content aims to discredit Western countries and support conservative views, focusing on criticism of Western politicians and highlighting issues like corruption, governance failures, and economic challenges.
- Target Countries: France, Germany, the USA, and Ukraine are the primary targets, with disinformation strategies tailored to appeal to different demographic groups.
International Response:
- EU Investigation: In May, the European Union launched an investigation into Meta’s compliance with new rules ensuring electoral integrity before the European Parliament elections in June. This was partly in response to the “Doppelgänger” operation, initially disclosed by Meta in 2022.
Conclusion: The ongoing “Doppelgänger” operations underscore the urgent need for decisive measures and international cooperation to protect democratic processes from sophisticated disinformation campaigns.