Weaponizing TikTok
Listen Now: Weaponizing TikTok
When Putin waged war on Ukraine, he had a secret weapon, TikTok. I’m Brian Banmiller on Business.
In order for people to support your cause you have to get them behind it. And in President Putin’s case he’s trying to bring people around to his way of thinking with the social media platform TikTok. Experts say in 2014 Russia flooded the internet with fake accounts about its takeover of Crimea. Now the effort has gotten a little more sophisticated and widespread. Analysts tracked thousands of Facebook and Twitter accounts that had recently been posted about Ukraine. They reported a sudden increase in anti-Ukrainian content in the days just before the invasion. On Valentine’s day the sample of Twitter accounts jumped by 11,000 compared to just days earlier. The analysts say with an increase that big you know something is going on. And they believe a number of the accounts are inauthentic and controlled by groups linked to the Russian government. And the TikTok videos are being widely shared all over the world. One showing a paratrooper preparing to jump was actually taken in 2015 during a training exercise. Verify before you share. Brian Banmiller, CBS News.
About Brian
CBS News Radio national business journalist Brian Banmiller has spent more than 40 years in the news industry, covering business, politics and the economy on television, radio and in print. Currently, his “Banmiller on Business” reports are delivered to an audience of millions nationwide.
Popular Reports, Articles & Videos
Latest CBS Radio Reports
Top Articles
Top Videos
Brian's diverse experience and unique perspectives combine with his pleasant and personal manner to engage audiences on many levels. From his days as an Air Force squadron commander to his long career as a business journalist, commentator and public speaker, Brian's approach to speaking and presentation is thought-provoking, inspirational and creative.
"The Technology Tornado: Media & Communications in the Modern Era"
See highlights from Brian's recent Ernst & Young "Continuing Education Conference" speech and hear directly from conference attendees.
Phoenix Convention Center
August 28th, 2019
Additional speech samples / videos are available upon request. Contact Brian to learn more.
