Microsoft and Google have joined Facebook in revealing that Russia may have purchased ads in an effort to manipulate the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Reactions to this news have been a mix of bewilderment and alarm—but perhaps we should not be so surprised. The fabricated news stories and click-bait headlines that dominated social media throughout the 2016 campaign are not a new tactic for the Russians. They are simply the latest iteration of a practice Moscow has used for nearly a century.

Citation
Ashley S. Deeks, Sabrina McCubbin & Cody M. Poplin, Addressing Russian Influence: What Can We Learn From U.S. Cold War Counter Propaganda Efforts?, Lawfare (October 25, 2017).