The #walkaway campaign is an excellent example of how organic discussions about divisive topics are co-opted by domestic extremists and amplified by foreign actors for maximum disruption. 1/n
When we initially spotted #walkaway on Thursday, we determined the discussion was organic. But 4chan's infamous /pol board was already debating how to exploit it. 2/n
We found Twitter accounts with small follower counts benefiting from a huge spike in engagement. But on closer inspection, some of the #walkaway accounts being amplified are clearly fake. One popular account is using a stock image for a profile photo. 3/n
Regardless, as of today, the fake Sofia Vargaros account is still active, and its most successful post has been retweeted over 16K times. The account has seen a 1200% increase in followers. 4/n
Many other accounts have been copy/pasting identical content to create the false impression of broad public support for the #walkaway campaign. 5/n
In addition to the amplification by domestic groups like 4chan and alt-right subreddits, the campaign is also getting a boost from foreign actors. #walkaway is by far the top hashtag amplified by the network of Russia-linked Twitter accounts monitored by #Hamilton68. 6/n
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