Russian Propagandists Are Using Paid Twitter Blue Checks to Spread Disinformation

(Image: Brett Jordan/Unsplash) Ever since Elon Musk made it possible for Twitter accounts to purchase the little blue “verification” check marks next to their names, it’s been challenging to determine in passing what information is reliable and what isn’t. Anyone can pose as a celebrity or major brand with a blue check and the right profile picture, and if virtual passersby don’t take the time to double-check whether the blue check was paid for, they can easily be duped.

This was already bad enough when Twitter users began impersonating brands in November. Now, things are arguably far worse. According to a new report from The Washington Post, Russian propagandists have started using paid Twitter Blue checkmarks to spread disinformation. While some of their tweets revolve around economic and social falsities (and outright bigotry), most involve disinformation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

One of the dozen Russian propagandists uncovered by Reset.

The trend was first uncovered by Reset, a research initiative focused on how technology intersects with democracy. Reset located a dozen Twitter accounts using paid blue checks to disseminate Kremlin-aligned Russian propaganda under the guise of defying the vague and ubiquitous buzzword “wokeness.” While a couple of these accounts have just a few hundred followers, others have tens of thousands, who help to spread propaganda via likes and retweets. One such account was even given a boost by Musk himself, who replied to tweets saying thousands of NATO troops had died in Ukraine. (They hadn’t, as NATO never deployed troops to Ukraine to begin with.)

Russian propagandists’ abuse of Twitter Blue further proves how dangerous a paid verification model can be for major social platforms. Social media has become a go-to for people seeking quick information without complicated jargon, and while that certainly has its disadvantages, none are as artificially-produced as a site that invites users to impersonate other users. As Reset has helped to show, such an environment is ripe for manipulation.

Given Twitter’s lack of a safety advisory board and tendency to allow hate speech to proliferate, it’s unlikely the site will do anything about Reset’s findings anytime soon. A separate Washington Post report from this month showed that Twitter makes millions off of controversial accounts due to the levels of engagement they solicit, and Russian propagandists’ accounts appear to be no different. According to public engagement data, one propagandist’s account has reached the 10 million tweet impressions mark—a statistic that likely has Twitter execs seeing dollar signs.

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