The account, "War on Fakes," was created on February 24, the same day Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" and troops began invading Ukraine. The page is rife with disinformation, according to The Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, which studies digital extremism and published a report examining the channel. False news often spreads via public groups, or chats, with potentially fatal effects. He adds: "Telegram has become my primary news source." 'Wild West' Telegram was founded in 2013 by two Russian brothers, Nikolai and Pavel Durov.
from ar