Russia's planned AI-Powered Digital Surveillance |
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- No Chinese Great Firewall, just a wild boar
- Data leak exposes Russia's use of AI to suppress dissent
- How to respond?
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Chinese and Iranian assistance of Russia & The Western pressure |
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Disinformation Narratives and Influence Operations |
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- A Fake Radio Liberty article targets Volodymyr Zelensky & Victoria Nuland
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Russia's planned AI-Powered Digital Surveillance |
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No Chinese Great Firewall, just a wild boar |
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Russian censorship agency Roskomnadzor is reportedly developing an automated system, called „Wild Boar “, that will use artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor Russian-language content on the internet. The agency aims to track "manipulations and social polarization" on social media and other online platforms, analyzing posts to identify "points of information tension" that could cause social unrest. It will scan websites and social media to find prohibited content by Kremlin and identify potential protesters and dissenters after it will transfer the data to authorized bodies. The system will supervise memes, negative opinions about officials and state bodies, manipulations of public opinion and the polarization of society, and the discreditation of traditional values. The Russian government is already trying to monitor internet activity, including intercepting and analyzing encrypted messages and establishing fake social media accounts to spread disinformation. The use of AI and other surveillance technologies by governments is a growing concern as we see how much Russia wants to be close to China.
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Data leak exposes Russia's use of AI to suppress dissent |
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The recent data leak in Russia has exposed the government's use of AI and digital surveillance to control information flow and suppress dissent. The leak revealed that Russia's internet regulator, Roskomnadzor, developed an AI system named "Oculus" in 2022 to find prohibited content on websites. The system was designed to scan URLs, images, videos, chats, forums, social media, and messenger channels to identify and remove materials such as homosexuality "propaganda," instructions on making weapons or drugs, misinformation discrediting state and army sources, calls for mass protests, disrespect for the state, and "signs" of extremism and terrorism. The system was expected to scan 200,000 images per day in real-time and be completed by December 2022. Roskomnadzor is now planning to use AI to monitor the entire Russian-speaking internet with a project called "Wild Boar," designed to analyze media materials and search for information tension in the global network. "Wild Boar," which uses machine learning algorithms was reportedly developed by Yandex, a Russian tech company, and is believed to be in use by the country's law enforcement agencies. Wild Boar is said to use a combination of natural language processing and image recognition to identify individuals who may pose a threat to the government.
The leaked data also revealed that Yandex had developed another system called "Sphinx" that can intercept and analyze encrypted messages sent using the Telegram messenger app. The leak also revealed that the government had established a network of fake social media accounts, known as "troll factories," to spread disinformation and influence public opinion.
Such systems can be used to infringe on the rights of citizens and stifle dissent and such technologies have the potential to undermine fundamental rights and freedoms and must be subject to democratic scrutiny and accountability. This leak highlights the need for greater regulation and oversight of the use of AI and other digital surveillance technologies by governments.
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Given the concerns raised by the use of AI and digital surveillance technologies by the Russian government, the West/EU should take a strong stance on the protection of citizens' rights, free speech, and freedoms. The West/EU could consider imposing more sanctions on Russia for violating human rights, including the right to privacy and freedom of expression. It could also work with other international organizations, to establish norms and standards for the use of AI and other surveillance technologies by governments. Additionally, the West/EU also could support civil society organizations and human rights defenders in and also outside of Russia who is working to protect citizens' rights and freedoms online. And finally, we should invest in developing alternative technologies that prioritize privacy and human rights, such as decentralized communication platforms and secure messaging apps.
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Chinese and Iranian assistance of Russia & The Western pressure |
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Global media about Russian “helpers” |
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In mid-March, The New York Times and the Financial Times reported that Russia had submitted a request to China for military and economic assistance in the war with Ukraine. However, Beijing denied the fact of providing weapons to Moscow. Concerning military assistance to Russia, Iran officially rejected accusations of supplying weapons to Russian troops. Surprisingly, in November 2022, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian admitted that his country supplied Russia with its drones. However, this allegedly happened even before the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine. "We handed over a limited number of drones to Russia a few months before the war in Ukraine," the minister said.
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Current Chinese and Iranian considerations |
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On February 18 NBC reported the US believed that China could provide non-lethal military aid to Russia for the war against Ukraine. In particular, it may include uniforms and body armor as well as some assistance with repeating Russian disinformation about the war and promoting false narratives. The publication adds that the White House is also concerned that China may consider sending lethal aid to Russia. However, the recent trends point to potentially more tangible support from the Chinese government for the Russian military. On February 24 The Wall Street Journal informed that Western officials were warning that China may be preparing to send artillery and drones to help Russia. This would be a hostile act that would lead to further economic separation between China and the West, the publication emphasizes. At the same time, CNN regarding three sources familiar with the intelligence data reported that the US had intelligence that the Chinese government was considering supplying Russia with drones and ammunition for use in the war in Ukraine, but Beijing had not yet made a final decision. Later CIA Director William Burns confirmed that the Chinese authorities were assuming the possibility of providing Russia with lethal weapons without making its final decision. "We do not see that the final decision has already been made, and we do not see evidence of actual deliveries of lethal weapons. That is why Blinken and the president have come out with explanations about the consequences of such a step," Burns said.
On February 27 CNN reported CIA Director William Burns, who said in an interview on the CBS TV channel that cooperation between Russia and Iran is developing at a rapid pace. Thus, Tehran supplies Moscow with weapons in exchange for assistance in the missile program. According to Burns, cooperation between the countries is moving quickly and in a dangerous direction. "We know that the Iranians have already provided the Russians with hundreds of attack drones, which they use to inflict pain on Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure. We know they provided ammunition for the artillery and the tanks," Burns said. In addition, the CIA sees signs that Russia is offering the Iranians help with their missile program and is considering providing Iran with fighter jets as part of the cooperation.
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Since China and Iran are continuing unfriendly policies towards Ukraine and the united West, the European Union should start preparing a package of sanctions against China in case it is proven that China supplies Russia with weapons. As for Iran, the response should be on the level of official break-off diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Iran in case of the implementation of the mentioned considerations.
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Disinformation narratives and influence operations |
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A Fake Radio Liberty article targets Volodymyr Zelensky & Victoria Nuland |
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Russian anti-Ukraine propaganda continues spreading falsehoods on social media, with one recent disinformation piece targeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Victoria Nuland. According to the fake story, which was falsely presented to be a Radio Liberty article, the US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said that in the event of the death of the Ukrainian President, his wife will be able to swiftly obtain US citizenship.
However, both the screenshot allegedly depicting the Radio Liberty piece, and the quote attributed to Victoria Nuland were doctored. Read more about the story in Fact Check Georgia’s debunking article. Noteworthy, that it is not the first time that the disinformers spread fake Radio Liberty articles – previous disinformation pieces included false claims about Zelensky’s drug addiction, Ukraine’s minister of Defence calling on NATO to enter Ukraine, as well as Zelenskyy’s made-up quote on complying with the “Minsk agreements” if Russia withdraws its troops from Ukraine.
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New Central European Program within EVC |
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The European Values Center for Security Policy has launched a new program dedicated to monitoring and analyzing hybrid threats, foreign influence, and strategic communications in Hungary and Slovakia. Within the program, with the base of operations in Prague, the European Values Center already publishes a bi-weekly newsletter "Orban Watch Briefing", which provides insights into the latest developments in Hungary.
"The Central European Program will focus on monitoring and analyzing hybrid threats, foreign influence, and strategic communications in Hungary and Slovakia, and will provide insights to policymakers and the wider public," said Victor Breiner, senior analyst of the Central European Program. "We aim to be a reliable source of information and analysis for those interested in the region."
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Karolína Mrázková – Dmytro Filonenko – Mariam Lashkhia
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