Twitter removes network of Russian state-backed accounts spreading anti-NATO narratives
On February 23, 2021, Twitter removed a network of 69 fake accounts leveraged by Russian state actors for spreading narratives to stoke anti-NATO sentiment and undermine faith in the alliance. According to Twitter’s announcement, the accounts’ activity aligned with Russian state actors’ strategic objectives. The Stanford Internet Observatory reported that many were sock puppet accounts and acted as fake media fronts, a tactic used in the past by the Russian Internet Research Agency.