In 2020, homegrown US disinformation surpasses Russian effort

From Pizzagate to QAnon, Americans are now leading the disinformation charge and effectively poisoning the political debate themselves, without ‘needing’ interference from foreign parties like Russia and Iran. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Russia’s coordinated effort to nudge Americans toward voting for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election caught social media companies flat-footed and remains a stain on the reputation of Facebook in particular.

Four years later, the FBI and other American security officials – aware of interference but silent last time – are warning that Russia and Iran are meddling.