Vladimir Putin-aligned trolls may have spread rumours about the Southport stabbings, said Mr Moore (Image: PA)
Russian troll farms aligned with the Kremlin may have helped spread disinformation about the identity of the Southport triple child killer, triggering widespread unrest, an cybersecurity expert has warned.
Cardiff-born Axel Rudabukana, 17, was yesterday named as the suspect in the attack, in which three children – Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine – who were attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport were stabbed to death.
Rudakubana was identified by Judge Andrew Menary at Liverpool Crown Court who opted to lift a Section 39 order guaranteeing anonymity to defendants under the age of 18.
Judge Menary said he had taken the decision after a fake name was circulated online, together with claims that the suspect was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK after crossing the channel in a dinghy.
He explained: “Continuing to prevent the full reporting has the disadvantage of allowing others to spread misinformation, in a vacuum.”
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The Government warned about the risk posed by Russian troll farms in 2022 (Image: Getty)
The day after the tragedy, large groups of protesters, some with their faces covered, threw bricks at police and smashed windows at the town’s mosque, apparently believing the person responsible was a Muslim.
Many social accounts which incorrectly named the suspect cited a report carried on a news website called Channel3 Now, whose origins are unclear.
Its earliest YouTube videos are in Russian, but five years later it began posting news about Pakistan and then the United States.
An investigation by Tortoise Media was only able to find one named author, a man who runs a lawn mowing business in Nova Scotia in Canada. The site has since apologised about falsely naming the Southport suspect.
Riot police hold back protesters in Southport after disorder broke out on Tuesday (Image: Getty Images)
A separate investigation by Sky News claimed a network of anonymous TikTok accounts was attempting to cause unrest in UK cities. One of them, with the username @quercrqfi6j, shared inflammatory graphics demanding mass deportations, and calling on people to wear masks and assemble at Luke Road in Southport.
Jake Moore, a Global Cybersecurity Advisor with software company ESET, stressed that it was “nearly impossible” to prove with any degree of certainty where such accounts originated.
He told Express.co.uk: “The spread of disinformation is rapidly increasing, especially to drum up further distress and distrust on a current or live situation.
“However, it is often difficult to pinpoint the origin or even motive behind such campaigns and it can remain quite speculative.”
Artist’s impression of Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, 17, in court (Image: Helen Tipper / SWNS)
Mr Moore explained: “Bots are a major problem on social media platforms which remain difficult to properly weed out.
“They often work in a pack especially when such amplification is so rapid and can even be used with political intent from foreign states.”
He added: “It is, therefore, vitally important to question anything online – especially from accounts you do not follow – and double check information before sharing or commenting on it.”
In May, 2022, three months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, UK-funded expert research exposed how the Kremlin is using a troll factory to spread lies on social media and in comment sections of popular websites.
A young girl pays her respects amongst the thousands of flowers in Southport (Image: Getty Images)
So-called “cyber soldiers” were targeting politicians and audiences across a number of countries including the UK, South Africa and India, the researchers suggested.
It further exposed the way in which the Kremlin’s “large-scale disinformation campaign” was designed to manipulate international public opinion of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Masterminds are believed to be working overtly from an old factory in St Petersburg, with paid employees, and internal working teams.
Then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “We cannot allow the Kremlin and its shady troll farms to invade our online spaces with their lies about Putin’s illegal war.
“The UK Government has alerted international partners and will continue to work closely with allies and media platforms to undermine Russian information operations.”
The FCDO has opted not to comment on speculation about Russian involvement.
