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The
Internet Research Agency (
IRA), known in Russian
Internet slang as the
Trolls from Olgino, is a Russian company, based in
Saint Petersburg, that engages in online
influence operations on behalf of the
Russian government. The agency has employed
fake accounts registered on major
social networks, discussion boards,
online newspaper sites, and
video hosting services in order to promote the Kremlin's interests in
domestic policy,
Ukraine, and the
Middle East, as well as
attempting to influence the 2016 United States presidential election to support the candidacy of
Donald Trump.[
citation needed]
The extent to which the Russian government tried to influence public opinion using social media became widely known after a June 2014
BuzzFeed article greatly expanded on government documents published by hackers earlier that year.
[2] The IRA gained worldwide media attention by June 2015, when one of its offices was reported as having data from fake accounts used for biased
Internet trolling. Subsequently, there were news reports of individuals receiving monetary compensation for performing these tasks.
[1]
According to journalists’ investigations, the office in
Olgino was named as Internet Research Agency Ltd. (
Russian: ООО «Агентство интернет-исследований»).
[3][8] The company was founded in the summer of 2013.
[6]
Journalists also point out that Alexey Soskovets, who had participated in Russian youth political community, was directly connected to the office in Olgino. His company, North-Western Service Agency, won 17 or 18 (according to different sources) contracts for organizing celebrations, forums and sport competitions for authorities of
Saint Petersburg. The agency was the only participant in half of those bids. In the summer of 2013 the agency won a tender for providing freight services for participants of
Seliger camp.
[3][9]
In 2014, according to Russian media, Internet Research Ltd. (
Russian: ООО «Интернет исследования»), founded in March 2014, joined the agency's activity.
Novaya Gazeta newspaper claim this company to be a successor of Internet Research Agency Ltd.
[10] Internet Research Ltd. is considered to be linked to
Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the holding company Concord. The "Trolls of Olgino" from Saint Petersburg are considered to be his project. As of October 2014, the company belonged to Mikhail Bystrov, who had been the head of the police station at
Moscow district of Saint Petersburg.
[11]
Russian media point out that according to documents, published by hackers from
Anonymous International, Concord is directly involved with trolling administration through the agency. Researchers cite e-mail correspondence, in which Concord gives instructions to trolls and receives reports on accomplished work.
[5] According to journalists' information, Concord organized banquets in
Kremlin and also cooperated with Voentorg and the
Russian Ministry of Defence.
[12]
Despite links to Alexei Soskovets, Nadejda Orlova, deputy head of the Committee for Youth Policy in Saint Petersburg, disputed connection between her institution and the trolling offices.
[3]
Finnish journalist
Jessikka Aro, who extensively reported on the pro-Russian trolling activities in Finland, was in response targeted by an organized campaign of hate, disinformation and harassment.
[13][14][15]"
