FOR WHOM THE BELL TROLLS: Russia’s troll factory also paid for 100 activists in the US
Russian independent media are having an impressive week in exposing how the country’s government allegedly tried to influence the US 2016 elections using online trolls.
On Monday (Oct. 16), a man going under the pseudonym Maksim told TV Rain (paywall) that he was paid to post negative comments on Facebook and sites like the New York Times about Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and to stoke America’s internal divisions on religion and LGBTQ rights. He was working for the “Internet Research Agency,” a company in St Petersburg, which is believed to have done work spreading political messages and trolling on the Kremlin’s behalf.
The trolls produced content aimed at riling both the left and right—for example, pushing Texan independence and religious evangelism at the same time as African-American and LGBTQ rights. Those writing the content earned around 55,000 rubles per month (approx. $1,000), while administrators made 80,000-90,000 rubles, and managers took home 120,000 (around $2,100). RBC reports that the factory still has a US desk, but its employees now number around 50.
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