More than 100 accounts India on the social network These messages They attack Spanish politicians and spread misinformation on the number of missing or deceased people, as reported by Efe.
Several profiles that normally publish in Hindi and English and present themselves as located in India have shared claims that intensify tension around the floods and their consequences. One of these profiles comments in response to a video about the evacuation of the president of the Government, Pedro Sanchezof Paiporta: “All Valencians are a source of pride for this country; someone who does not show his face, a coward, a hypocrite who only wants to benefit at the expense of our efforts, does not deserve less.”
The recording shows how several people boo and hit the vehicle in which Sánchez was evacuated during the protests that took place during the visit of the kings, the head of the Executive and of the president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazónto Paiporta, which has been the epicenter of the floods.
The massive activity of accounts located abroad and the simultaneous publication of very similar messages in a short period are signs of a possible influence campaign, as indicated by the experts consulted and the analysis carried out by Efe.
Complicating the tracking of criminal activities
“Everything indicates that this could be the result of content farms that are offered to the highest bidder and seek to obtain an economic return financed by actors who may be both inside and outside the country,” he explains. Ramon Salaverriacoordinator of Iberian Observatory of Digital Media (Iberifier). These farms are structured operations that generate large volumes of online content. with the main objective of generating income.
“In this type of situation, it is very difficult to identify the origin, but It is possible that they align with the interests of actors in Spain that turn to malicious groups located abroad to divert the attention of researchers and complicate the tracking of criminal activities that are being carried out in our country,” adds Salaverría.
Raúl Magallón: “In times of uncertainty and fear, misinformation has a greater chance of being effective”
Regarding the power of influence of these actions, Raul Magallonresearcher of the Carlos III Universitypoints out that, in times of uncertainty and fear, misinformation has “a greater chance of being effective.”
To combat these influence operations, Magallón emphasizes the need for “complies with the regulations” of the European Union Digital Services Law and “make it easier for researchers to monitor and analyze possible artificial campaigns.”
A coordinated manipulation campaign
Although some Indian accounts were activated shortly after the devastation caused by DANA became known, their activities have intensified following the attacks against the authorities in Paiporta. These accounts respond to viral posts on X about the catastrophe – mostly with political content – in order to increase their visibility.
Numerous contents analyzed by Efe were distributed in a short period and, in some cases, replicated messages that had been previously published by real accounts in Spanish, which according to the agency, suggests the existence of a coordinated manipulation campaign.
However, they are not limited to a single ideological spectrum. While a large number of accounts question the central government’s response and applauds the attacks on Sánchezother profiles spread publications that They criticize the alleged presence of far-right groups in Paiporta or the management of the Mazón Government in relation to the catastrophe. In addition, several accounts interact with profiles that usually spread disinformation or who have shared misleading statements about the death toll.
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