The Olympics is underway and as the competition for medals heats up in the various stadiums and venues across Paris, the spread of disinformation by Russia has also heated up, but can you really believe everything you see online?
What's been spread, why could it be dangerous and how can you spot it?
Why is Russia spreading fake news?
Disinformation groups linked to Russia have increased their activity in the run-up to the Paris Olympics in order to tarnish the reputation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and spread fear that violence may break out during the Games. Fake news can be a powerful tool in helping to sway or even change public opinion and behaviour, and posting fake videos on platforms such as TikTok and X is a relatively quick and easy way to potentially influence millions of people across the globe. It is thought that Russia has targeted the Paris Olympics in particular, due to the French government's support of Ukraine and also because Russia has been banned from competing at the Olympics since the outbreak of war.
What fake news has been spread by Russia?
At the inauguration of a new Olympic swimming centre earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron said "Every day (Russia) is putting out stories saying that we are unable to do this or that, so (the Games) would be at risk." It's thought that the increase in fake news from Russia is as a result of President Macron switching to a more hard-lined policy on the Ukraine war. Russia is banned from the Paris Olympics, however, fifteen of its athletes are competing under the Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) banner. This is because they have met conditions set by the IOC, including not actively supporting the war in Ukraine.
One deepfake video that has been doing the rounds on messaging app Telegram is of a supposed Netflix documentary called Olympics Has Fallen.
The "documentary" features AI generated clips, stock footage and artificially generated audio from Hollywood actor Tom Cruise talking about his love of sports, whilst speaking unfavourably about the IOC. The deepfake video even uses the recognisable Netflix "tudum" intro in order to strengthen its legitimacy.
However, there are clear signs that this clip is a deepfake, from the often robotic nature of Tom Cruise's delivery, to some phrases in the script that don't sound right, such as Cruise referring to a "hockey match", a term more commonly used in Russia, rather than a "hockey game", which is what most American's would say. You can learn more about how to spot deepfake videos here.
Spreading fear at the Olympics
The disinformation also includes a series of fake videos that have been published online claiming to be from reputable news outlets including French broadcaster France24 and Belgian based Euro News. These have been created by groups linked to the Russian state.
This includes one clip which is supposedly from news network France24, falsely claiming that 24% of tickets for the games had been returned due to fears of terrorism. Another video claims to be from the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and is a "press release" which warns that the terrorist threat in Paris has been assessed as high. Both have been revealed to be fake by reputable sources.
While videos like this appear to be from legitimate sources, you should do some background research before believing everything you see or read online. Make sure to check the actual website that the content is supposedly from. If you can't find any trace of it, then it's most likely fake and you might be at risk of spreading misinformation if you decide to share it.
Why is fake news dangerous?
Spreading fake news online can have real-world implications as it can manipulate public opinion and cause division in communities. According to reports from France, Russia has recently taken it's disinformation campaign to the streets of the Paris, with shocking stunts designed to create panic.
In June, five coffins draped in the French flag and containing the inscription "French soldiers of Ukraine” were left near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Officials said that investigations were under way “to see if this was organised from abroad".
Russia has also been accused of interfering in the recent French elections, creating a fake website that looked exactly like the left-wing coalition party Ensemble's site, but promising to give people who vote for the party 100 Euros. This can then be used to spread the narrative that Ensemble is paying people to vote for them, which is false.
The Russian-linked disinformation machine was also blamed for the bedbug scare that rocked Paris last Autumn. France's European Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told French television at the time that panic around the 'outbreak' was "in a very large part amplified by accounts linked to the Kremlin (the Russian government)", he went on to say that these accounts had created a false link between the arrival of Ukrainian refugees and the spread of bedbugs.
Get clued-up about how and why fake news spreads, and what you can do to avoid falling for it.
Is this the first time Russia has spread fake news?
Russia has a history of creating and spreading fake news and disinformation, which is also known as propaganda; the distribution of information of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.
For example, in March, a fake image announcing the supposed death of King Charles III was spread online by pro-Russian Telegram channels.
The image, which was widely shared on social-media platform Telegram, was made in the style of an official Royal communication, leading many to believe that it was real.
It didn't take long for the rumours to spread, with other false reports on X claiming that a flag seen at Buckingham Palace had been lowered to half-mast, which is often seen as a sign that the Royal Family is in a period of mourning.
However, these rumours proved to be false, with the official X account of the British Embassy in both Moscow and the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, confirming that news of the King's death was fake.
Russian-linked disinformation has also been blamed for amplifying the rumours and wild claims that spread on platforms like TikTok and X earlier this year about the health of the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.
Why is propaganda dangerous? And how can you spot it?
You might've learnt about propaganda in history lessons, possibly in relation to World War One or World War Two, but the use of fake news as a political tool goes back centuries. With the American elections fast approaching, it's important that we can spot the fact from the fake when it comes to politics.
It's believed that the reason Russia has been spreading fake news on worldwide issues is to widen political divisions in certain countries, and act as a distraction from their own invasion of Ukraine.
Spotting propaganda and fake news is always difficult, but we'd advise always checking the source of a story and only getting your news from reliable, trust-worthy news outlets.
Not sure if the news you’re seeing on social media is true or false? Can you always tell if the things you see online are real or fake? Learn how to get the other side of the story with our quizzes, videos and explainers.
