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Diplomat reveals foreign structures behind wave of fake ‘Russian embassy’ accounts

The creation of fake accounts of state organizations is one of the threats digital diplomacy faces, Maria Zakharova says
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Yegor Aleyev/TASS
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
© Yegor Aleyev/TASS

SOCHI, October 17. /TASS/. The Russian Foreign Ministry has found out that certain structures from other countries are behind the sudden surge in fake accounts of Russian embassies, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday at a session of the first Global Young Diplomats Forum held as part of the World Festival of Youth and Students.

The creation of fake accounts of state organizations is one of the threats digital diplomacy faces, she said. "There is a network of accounts of our embassies, consulates general and missions at international organizations on social networks… And, all of a sudden, fake accounts of our missions with absolutely false information start popping up like mushrooms," Zakharova noted.

The diplomat pointed to the fact that, as it turned out, "there is no functioning tool to remove these fake accounts."

"One has to write letters, call the headquarters of these networks, and only then do they  begin to review the applications… Meanwhile, these fake accounts will be spreading their poison throughout cyberspace," Zakharova added.

"We have found sources of financing for a number of fake accounts. Moreover, we even found the people who have been supporting them," the ministry’s spokeswoman stressed.

"These are not citizens’ private initiatives. Definite and quite specific structures of other countries are behind them," the diplomat stressed.