Joe Biden welcomes German Chancellor Olaf Schalz to Washington to discuss Ukraine

Germany has identified a large space “Pro-Russian Disinformation Campaign” Using thousands of fake X accounts, it says it aims to stoke anger over the country's support for Ukraine. Der Spiegel.

Experts commissioned by the German Foreign Ministry used special software to monitor messages published on X online sites between December 20 and January 20, the weekly writes. They reportedly found more than 50,000 fake user accounts that posted more than a million messages in German on X.

One of the recurring themes of their news is the accusation that President Olaf Scholz's government is neglecting its own countrymen to help Ukraine in its war against Russia. Der SpiegelHe says he relies on extracts from the investigation.

These accounts are often linked to fake news websites that are designed to look like real news outlets. Spiegel.

Experts believe their discovery is part of a disinformation campaign “ Doppelgänger”, claims Russia as part of it “Hybrid Warfare” Against the West and well known to the authorities.

When asked at a regular press conference, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment on the article. Wrong information “will become a global threat factor”Aimed at destabilizing Western societies, including Germany, he opined.

The revelations come against a backdrop of concern about the dangers of increasingly sophisticated disinformation: by 2024, nearly half of the planet will be affected by elections. In June, around 400 million people in the European Union were invited to vote in the European Parliament elections.

European diplomatic chief Joseph Borrell warned this week that 2024 could be the year. “The Crucial Year” In the fight against disinformation coming from actors like Russia. The World Economic Forum recently estimated that misinformation is one of the greatest dangers to humanity, given its widespread use “undermining the legitimacy of newly elected governments”.