Russian propaganda increased after 2016 U.S. election: Senate committee

By Joseph Menn

(Reuters) - The Senate committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election said on Tuesday that the Kremlin's best-known propaganda arm increased its activity after that vote, adding to concerns about foreign meddling in the current 2020 campaign.

The Senate Intelligence Committee, which has managed to operate under bipartisan consensus when other congressional panels have not, said in a report that activity by the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency “increased, rather than decreased, after Election Day 2016.”

IRA-linked account activity jumped more than 200% on Instagram and more than 50% on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the committee said. The IRA and related entities and people were indicted earlier this year by special prosecutor Robert Mueller.

The committee, led by Republican Chairman Richard Burr and Democratic Vice Chairman Mark Warner, also concluded that African-Americans had been the group most targeted by Russian influence campaigns that sought to exacerbate domestic tensions and increase the election prospects of President Donald Trump.

The panel recommended that Congress consider new laws requiring disclosure of who pays for election-related online advertising. It also said social media companies, which have come under fire for allowing propaganda to flourish, should share more information about what they find on their platforms.