A network of accounts on X, known for their pro-Kremlin stance, shared misleading articles from Fox News prior to Thursday's presidential debate. 

Fake Fox News Site Pushes Russian Disinformation

These articles aimed to promote false narratives, such as the claim that former President Donald Trump had widespread support in the business community.

The fake articles were initially brought to light by the account @antibot4navalny, a private group of analysts who closely monitor Russia-related influence operations. 

These articles led people to a counterfeit version of Fox News' website. It seems that the website is associated with a well-known Russian disinformation campaign, which has imitated credible news sources like Le Monde in France and The Washington Post. 

In March, Alethea, a company specializing in researching online risks, discovered 81 websites and over 5,000 accounts associated with the campaign.

Spreading propaganda through news outlets created or approved by the Kremlin is a well-established strategy, but this campaign has adopted a contemporary approach, NBC News reported. 

The website it uses is designed to closely resemble a reputable news source, allowing it to share links via a network of seemingly automated accounts without being easily identified by platforms and researchers. 

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Social Media Disinformation Concerns

Efforts to control social media discussion within the debate highlight the concerns raised by researchers, technologists, and political scientists about the ongoing threat of disinformation. 

This is especially relevant as technology platforms have reduced their moderation efforts. The counterfeit version of the Fox News website, along with the accounts on X, demonstrate the evolution of foreign manipulation efforts in recent years. 

The counterfeit website bears a striking resemblance to the legitimate Fox News website, with the fabricated article even going so far as to attribute it to a genuine Fox News journalist.

The X accounts are more persuasive than previous manipulation attempts, which frequently utilized broken English and employed identical phrases across numerous accounts. 

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