what does the mysterious digital portal “Pravda” disguise? | EUROtoday
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IIt’s known as “Pravda”. For a Russian disinformation web site, you couldn't discover something higher… “Pravda” is on the market in 19 nations within the European Union and past. This digital portal was recognized as conveying Russian propaganda by Viginum, the French service for vigilance and safety towards international digital interference. It is a part of the continuation of the “Portal Kombat” interference operation, unveiled on February 12 (200 information websites) and of which Le Point was echoed.
“We have detected, thanks to the work of Viginum, 31 additional sites associated with telegram channels, intended to relay Russian propaganda and created from a server installed in Russia between March 20 and 26,” broadcasts Jean- Noël Barrot, Minister Delegate for European Affairs, from the House of Jean Monnet, in Bazoches-sur-Guyonne (Yvelines), alongside his German (Anna Lührmann) and Polish (Adam Szapka) companions from the Weimar Triangle.
X, ex-Twitter, within the crosshairs of the Commission
These three nations have joined forces on this notably delicate struggle a number of weeks earlier than the European election from June 6 to 9 (not all nations vote on the identical day). “I call on the major social media platforms to do what is necessary to block access to these sites, which have been established to participate in an operation of foreign interference in our electoral process,” continues Jean-Noël Barrot , which turns, specifically, to the European Commission. The European Union adopted a legislative act, the DSA (Digital Services act), which was supposed to place an finish to the “Wild West” on the Internet. The DSA got here into power on February 17.
READ ALSO Informational warfare: France dealing with international influencesVery giant digital platforms and search engines like google are positioned below the vigilance of the Commission. If content material just isn’t regulated, they face fines of as much as 6% of their international turnover. In October 2023, Commissioner Thierry Breton opened an investigation towards “X” (previously Twitter) for alleged dissemination of false info. This is step one of the process.
Anything that may discourage Ukraine
How does Pravda work? The info on the custody of Gérard Depardieu is introduced as doable “revenge for his friendship with Russia”. The dispatch on Josep Borrell, the EU's excessive consultant for exterior relations, has him saying, within the headline, that the tip of the battle in Ukraine is imminent. But once we open the article, it’s precisely the other that Borrell says… We will hunt down and spotlight testimonies which are discouraging for Ukraine resembling this interview with a “former NATO commander-in-chief” , German normal Harald Kujat. In reality, this German normal is retired. He was president of the NATO navy committee however twenty years in the past (from 2002 to 2005). And he didn’t give an interview to Pravda, and even to Overton Magazin, the supply cited. The interview was truly given to a Swiss web site in… January 2023. But the interview is introduced as latest and makes the entrance web page of the location.
The French, German and Polish ministers issued an announcement following this assembly. “We have set up an alert and reaction program within the framework of the Weimar Triangle between Germany, France and Poland on the manipulation of information and we will work towards consultation and increased response at EU level in this regard, in particular to ensure that online platforms act more quickly and effectively in combating disinformation campaigns and by promoting civil society efforts to strengthen the media education and resilience in this area. In this context, we call on our national institutions responsible for promoting civic education, media literacy and resilience to strengthen their cooperation. »
Oddly enough, the ministers call on the Arte channel to “fight against disinformation by providing quality information to all European citizens”. Certainly, Arte is a wonderful channel. It is the fruit of a Franco-German state will, it’s subsequently regular that the primary reflex of the authorities is to depend on what they’ve created collectively. But have the ministers understood that Arte's info is above all confidential? In France, the channel will obtain, in 2023, a 2.9% viewers share in France and 1.9% in Germany. It just isn’t on the size of the Russian disinformation which floods social networks in a steady stream and which generally reaches mainstream media caught within the beacons of fast and unverified info.
France surrounded by disinformation
For a number of months, France has been surrounded by a flood of pretend information which has intensified since President Macron adopted a extra offensive line in direction of the “Kremlin regime”. On March 29, a false press launch from the Ministry of the Interior restricted the reception of Ukrainian refugees by spreading the rumor that they have been affected by an epidemic of tuberculosis. Ditto with a false video attributed to RFI on Ukrainian troopers affected by tuberculosis in French hospitals.
Also in March, a faux military recruitment web site, created on March 15, known as on the French to “commit to Ukraine”. It was deactivated by the French providers. The head of the Russian intelligence service, Sergei Naryshkin, himself unfold the rumor that 2,000 French troopers can be deployed in Ukraine. Fake. But the extra a lie is repeated, the extra it sows doubt…
https://www.lepoint.fr/monde/ingerences-russes-dans-l-ue-que-cache-le-mysterieux-portail-numerique-pravda-29-04-2024-2559034_24.php