On Wednesday, the United States Justice Department announced that it had seized over 30 website domains used in a state-backed Russian disinformation campaign named “Doppelganger.”
Doppelganger was originally launched by the Russian government in 2022 as part of its information warfare campaign during the Ukraine War but re-emerged after the start of the Israel-Hamas War in October 2023.
The core of Doppelganger operations is achieved by cloning reputable news websites and sharing fake news to sow confusion and anger, referred to as “cybersquatting.”
For example, by registering washingtonpost.pm to mimic washingtonpost.com.
The US Justice Department seized these website domains due to their direct relation with the Russian government and their use to influence the election.
“The Justice Department is seizing 32 internet domains that the Russian government and Russian government-sponsored actors have used to engage in a covert campaign to interfere in and influence the outcome of our country’s elections,” said Attorney-General Merrick B. Garland.
Direct Russian involvement
The Justice Department accused First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko of using the domains to spread Russian government propaganda covertly.
The Treasury Department also announced it was sanctioning ten individuals and two entities associated with the campaign.
“Russian state-sponsored actors have long used a variety of tools, such as generative artificial intelligence (AI) deep fakes and disinformation, in an attempt to undermine confidence in the United States’ election processes and institutions,” the Treasury Department said.
Despite its origin in the Ukraine War, Doppelganger’s revival for the Israel-Hamas War has been strong.
In November 2023, Haaretz had identified multiple examples of fake content and squatted domains relating to the war. The squatters had mimicked multiple well-known international newspapers such as Le Monde, and Der Spiegel, but also several prominent Hebrew-language sites, including Mako, Walla, and Liberal.
The Russian government has been accused of attempting to fan the flames of division in the West, which the Israel-Hamas War has strained.
Multiple antisemitic actions in the West have been blamed on Russian government agents, many of them involving antisemitic graffiti.
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