Manipulation from Russia : As the EU is against Fake News is preparing

you should have started with deepening of the seabed, the alleged Disinfo campaign of the Russian media, to the sea of Azov. So the EU East Stratcom task force breaks down the escalation of a conflict, at the end of the shots on three of the Ukrainian Navy boats.

in 2015, was created in the current 14-member group of experts. You should be tactics the EU's response to Propaganda and Russian Confusion, as you look at the European Commission, for example, in the Syria war or the Downing of the plane MH-17 as "well documented".

Since then, the task force has weekly lists for week of dubious news reports, observed the Trends. The group works with a network of locally-working Fact-checkers, which transmit their results to the Headquarters in Brussels.

1.9 million euros were available to the Team this year. Like in a Wednesday presented the action plan announced, is to be doubled this amount on the occasion of the in may's upcoming European elections. The staff should be increased to 25 people, and by 2020 it will be at least 50 employees.

the Background is the fear of election manipulation. At the launch of the action plan, Commission Vice-President Andrus Ansip said, "disinformation is part of Russia's military doctrine and its strategy to divide the West and to weaken". More precisely, it would also be important to prevent the strengthening of anti-European parties in Parliament.

A major task for the task force on the EU East Stratcom. So far, the public perception of the work is mainly restricted to the weekly Newsletter "Disinformation Review". The range is limited. The offer reaches as a priority, researchers from think-tanks, and journalists. For the mass audience graphics and articles are also spreads viral across Facebook and Twitter.

The campaign by the Azov sea

In the Newsletter, the Team analyzed the Narratives to be distributed on the basis of false reports. As in September 2017, as Moscow's NTV television channel reported from the Ukraine planned Deepening excavations in the Azov sea. The neighboring country wants to make the shallow water, so in the future, also for the Nato fleet to maneuver. As the source of the research of Ukrainian journalists. So who are these people remains unclear.

an Online Journal in July 2018, the message, the Ukraine infecting the sea with Cholera. In television, a former Russian soldier on US speaks-plans for a Ukrainian-Russian war, the will prepared since the nineties – is the basis for its allegations of a video.

The language will become more and more drastic, the necessity of Russian defense force actions in the messages. In comment columns and conspiracy theorists on YouTube soon after the shooting on the Navy boats, nuclear weapons and one of Russia prevented the outbreak of third world war. The task force called an intensifying campaign.

The word implies that there is a coordinated project that was developed as a year-across various media channels. Critics call the EU East Stratcom, because of such is often insufficiently transparent-made conclusions Europe's Propaganda apparatus. Also, because education about false information and the strengthening of the independent press are not the only goals of the group. To Communicate and Promote the policy decisions of the EU in Eastern neighbourhood countries is also listed.

transparency against Propaganda allegations

"It may be Russian campaigns, which are described there," says Gwendolyn Sasse, Scientific Director of the Berlin center for Eastern European and international studies. Although she is a reader of "Disinformation Review" and the approach is welcomed, criticized you, the Stratcom Team would have to quickly close individual messages on the presence of a controlled media conspiracy. "Maybe there is information in the Background, such conclusions allow", the exact Rechercheweg will not be communicated in the Newsletter Format, however, is clear enough.

the accusation of Propaganda against only more transparency will help, says Sasse. "I don't think that the individual Expert is not want to of experts work in a transparent, but so far I see a few mechanisms in place to bring this to the Public." In principle, the work could contribute, however, as a small aspect to a more critical dealing with the media.

In the run-up to the EU parliamentary elections, you warns, the role of disinformation neither to overestimate nor: "the reason for The success of populist parties is quickly searched for in Moscow. But the political problems, which can be used by campaigns of Disinformation, are homemade problems.“ And where the task force could prevent, thanks to the higher Budgets now influence, it may be almost six months before the election, just too late.

No German Bot army

in Order to allow a timely Intervention, the action plan of the European Commission, the introduction of an early warning system, which warns in real-time, before the disinformation campaign. On the national level, contact should be established, ideally in the departments for strategic communication.

The concept of strategic communication has experienced several years of a political heyday. In Germany, a special section was set up in mid-2016 as part of the Federal foreign office, headed by Andreas Kindl.

Russian Propaganda Nato expert: "Every weakness is exploited"

After the publication of the action plan Kindl warned to focus with Russia on a single player. "That would be naive," he wrote on Twitter. Exactly how to leave alone to a medium. The Foreign office Kindl expressed recently about the difference between his work and Propaganda. "We work in an environment of Checks and Balances. That is to say: I can't allow myself not to lie“. The control through the media and MPs in the Bundestag. Whether it will ever be a Bot-army of the foreign office? "That would be found out if we would be the only plan."