Pro-Russian Twitter accounts spread false information preying on 'legitimate concerns' after Ohio train disaster

Drone photograph of Feb. 6 Norfolk Southern freight train derailment in
East Palestine, Ohio (Photo by Gene Puskar, The Associated Press)

Something strange and noteworthy followed the Feb. 6 train disaster in East Palestine, Ohio. "Soon after the derailment, anonymous pro-Russian accounts started spreading misleading claims and anti-American propaganda about it on Twitter, using Elon Musk's new verification system to expand their reach while creating the illusion of credibility," reports David Klepper of The Associated Press. "The accounts claimed without evidence that authorities in Ohio were lying about the true impact of the chemical spill. The accounts spread fearmongering posts that preyed on legitimate concerns about pollution and health effects and compared the response to the derailment with America's support for Ukraine following its invasion by Russia."

One posting cried, "'Biden offers food, water, medicine, shelter, payouts of pension and social services to Ukraine! Ohio first! Offer and deliver to Ohio!' [The account] boasts 25,000 followers and features an anonymous location and a profile photo of a dog," reports Klepper. "One video features ex-President Donald Trump's remarks about the train derailment, complete with Russian subtitles."

"The accounts were identified by Reset, a London-based nonprofit that studies social media's impact on democracy, and shared with AP, " Klepper explains. After the accounts were identified, "Zignal Labs, a media intelligence firm, conducted a study. . . . At first, the derailment received little attention online, but mentions grew steadily; Zignal found a time lag that gave pro-Russia voices time to try to shape the conversation. . . . the accounts received an extra boost from Twitter itself. . . . . Musk replaced it [Twitter's Blue check mark verification system] with Twitter Blue. Under the program, Twitter Blue users can write and send longer tweets and videos. Their replies are also given higher priority on other posts."

Felix Kartte, a senior advisor at Reset, told Klepper, "With no one at home in Twitter's product safety department, Russia will continue to meddle in U.S. elections and in democracies around the world." Kartte noted Reset's "findings indicate Twitter is allowing Russia to use its platform like a bullhorn."