You’ve probably heard that the U.S. is facing some of our worst measles outbreaks in about two decades. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 900 cases of the measles have been reported in 2019 alone. (For the record, it’s also a growing problem on the global scale.) Disturbingly, as evidenced in a new study out of George Washington University, it appears that Russian trolls amped the entire anti-vaccination debate by participating in discussions on the subject way more than typical users on Twitter.
“Compared with average users, Russian trolls, sophisticated bots, and ‘content polluters’ tweeted about vaccination at higher rates,” the study, led by professor David Broniatowski, reports in its findings. “Whereas content polluters posted more anti-vaccine content, Russian trolls amplified both sides.”
To gather their data, the study compared the number of tweets related to vaccines from Russian trolls (bots) to those from real Twitter users. The study used data from July 2014 to September 2017.
The obvious risk here is that all of this “debate” on the effectiveness (or other necessity) of vaccines suggests that there’s a reasonable argument to avoid them. It’s the idea that when we talk about something (which gives it space in cultural dialogue) it suggests that it’s, on some level, important and worthwhile.
Basically: If something is truly ridiculous, we’ll skip over it or it’ll fade into oblivion shortly. But if so many people have these strong, passionate opinions, perhaps there’s something there? Without a doubt, it intentionally preys on impressionable people.
The study says as much when it notes that “accounts masquerading as legitimate users” sending these messages makes it appear as though more people honestly believe this anti-vaxx rhetoric, all of which makes it more legitimate to people who are uninformed or already skeptical. More people actively voicing these ideas adds credibility to them.
Yikes!
At this point, it feels impossible to talk about Russian meddling without talking about the 2016 presidential election. Back in February 2018, Robert Mueller charged three Russian entities and 13 Russian nationals with crimes related to the 2016 election. In short, the crimes related to campaign efforts to stir up division and disinformation in the U.S.
And these connections aren’t leaps in logic, either. Broniatowski and his peers say that the actions of these Russian bots mimic past behaviors. The study says that, yet again, this is an example of Russian trolls amplifying issues in the U.S. by intentionally hyping up divisive viewpoints. The goal? At minimum, dividing Americans.
First Russian trolls came for Hillary Clinton. Now they’re apparently coming for our health—and our lives. Because remember, measles can be deadly. What will they try next?