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Strategic Culture Foundation

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The Strategic Culture Foundation (SCF) is a Russian website founded in 2005 that publishes an online magazine of the same name. The SCF is regarded as an arm of Russian state interests by the United States government,[1][2] and has been characterized as a conservative, pro-Russian propaganda website by U.S. media[2] and others.[3] It is based in Moscow.

History

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The SCF has a pattern of sharing articles with other Russia-controlled outlets such as Global Research, New Eastern Outlook, and SouthFront.[4] In February 2019, the European Union's East StratCom Task Force (ESTF) noted that the SCF hides the fact that they are a Russian outlet, presenting themselves as an all-English site. The ESTF illustrated how a reason for it "might be that it gives Russian pro-Kremlin media a possibility to quote 'International Media'" when in fact they are quoting another Kremlin-controlled Russian site.[3]

The Washington Post reported in September 2020 that Facebook had banned a Russian disinformation network operated by the SCF—a network that "helped spread conspiracy theories aimed at English-speaking audiences, including by fueling false rumors that the coronavirus was produced as a bioweapon and that a potential vaccine would include tracking technology".[5] The Post's report stated that the Strategic Culture Foundation "also spread "false" information that Bill Gates, the tech executive and philanthropist, was leading efforts to create a vaccine with surveillance capabilities". The Post's report called the Strategic Culture Foundation "a phony think tank".[5]

In April 2021, the United States Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on the SCF because of their efforts to interfere in the 2020 elections.[6][7] According to the United States Department of State, the SCF journal "is directed by Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and closely affiliated with Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs".[4][7]

Wikipedia

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In April 2022, the East StratCom Task Force reported that the SCF and three other pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets (SouthFront, NewsFront and InfoRos) were referenced in 136 articles of the Russian Wikipedia, 70 of the Arabic edition, 52 of the Spanish, 45 of the Portuguese, and 32 of the Vietnamese Wikipedia.[8] They wrote:

On the English version of Wikipedia, there seems to be a consensus that state-sponsored disinformation sites aren't legitimate sources ... One can only guess whether other language versions will follow suit, but there is nothing stopping anyone from launching that debate, pointing out the English Wikipedia example as a best practice.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ GEC Special Report: Russia's Pillars of Disinformation and Propaganda (PDF) (Report). United States Department of State. August 2020. pp. 12–19. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022. The Strategic Culture Foundation is an online journal registered in Russia that is directed by Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and closely affiliated with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One of its core tactics is to publish Western fringe thinkers and conspiracy theorists, giving them a broader platform, while trying to obscure the Russian origins of the journal.
  2. ^ a b Rawnsley, Adam (24 September 2020). "Putin's Troll Farm Busted Running Sprawling Network of Facebook Pages". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  3. ^ a b "An Unfounded Foundation: How Russian-run fake Western thinktanks look like". EUvsDisinfo. 8 February 2019. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  4. ^ a b Tucker, Patrick (6 August 2020). "Russian Disinformation Networks Detailed in New State Department Report". Defense One. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020. Russian disinformation appearing on English-language news websites spiked at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new State Department report that reveals new details about how pro-Russian websites work with one another to amplify specific stories and narratives.
  5. ^ a b Timberg, Craig (24 September 2020). "Facebook removes Russian networks tied to intelligence services that interfered in the U.S. in 2016". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  6. ^ Nakashima, Ellen (15 April 2021). "Biden administration imposes significant economic sanctions on Russia over cyberspying, efforts to influence presidential election". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Treasury Escalates Sanctions Against the Russian Government's Attempts to Influence U.S. Elections" (Press release). United States Department of the Treasury. 15 April 2021. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021. The Strategic Culture Foundation (SCF) is an online journal registered in Russia that is directed by the SVR and closely affiliated with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. SCF is controlled by the SVR's Directorate MS (Active Measures) and created false and unsubstantiated narratives concerning U.S. officials involved in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
  8. ^ "Pro-Kremlin Disinformation Outlets Referenced By Hundreds Of Wikipedia Articles". StopFake. EUvsDisinfo. 19 April 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
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