The Internet Research Agency: Inside Russia’s Trolling Factory

The Internet Research Agency (IRA), also known as Glavset and commonly referred to as “Trolls from Olgino,” is a Russian-based company involved in online propaganda and influence operations on behalf of Russian business and political interests. The agency gained widespread attention in 2016 when its alleged involvement in the interference of the 2016 United States presidential election was brought to light. However, the company has been in operation since mid-2013.

The agency has employed various tactics, including fake accounts on social networking sites, discussion boards, online newspapers, and video hosting services to promote Kremlin interests in domestic and foreign policies, including Ukraine and the Middle East. The agency’s employees, numbering more than 1,000 in 2015, worked in a single building in Saint Petersburg.

The agency’s name became synonymous with pro-Russian propaganda trolls, not just those based in the office in Olgino. The term “Trolls from Olgino” and “Olgino’s trolls” have become common terms used to describe trolls who spread pro-Russian propaganda.

The agency’s founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is also the head of the private military company Wagner Group, admitted in February 2023 that he created and managed the IRA for a long time. Prigozhin’s admission came months after he had admitted to Russian interference in U.S. elections.

The approved-by-Russian-authorities strategy of public consciousness manipulation through new media is linked to Vyacheslav Volodin, the first deputy of the Vladimir Putin Presidential Administration of Russia. The agency’s tactical organizers include Alexey Soskovets, who had participated in the Russian youth political community, and Mikhail Bystrov, who had been the head of the police station at Moscow district of Saint Petersburg. The agency won a tender for providing freight services for participants of Seliger camp in mid-2013.

Internet Research Ltd., a company that joined IRA’s activity in 2014, is considered to be linked to Prigozhin’s holding company Concord Management and Consulting. Concord Management is directly involved in trolling administration through the agency.

The agency’s involvement in the interference of the 2016 United States presidential election led to a United States grand jury indicting 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities, including the Internet Research Agency, on charges of violating criminal laws with the intent to interfere “with U.S. elections and political processes.”

Finnish journalist Jessikka Aro, who extensively reported on the pro-Russian trolling activities in Finland, was targeted by an organized campaign of hate, disinformation, and harassment. The campaign serves as an example of the impact of the agency’s tactics on individuals and societies.

In conclusion, the Internet Research Agency’s activities highlight the increasing role of social media and online platforms in shaping public opinion and influencing political processes. The agency’s tactics, including the use of fake accounts and manipulation of information, serve as a reminder of the importance of critical thinking and media literacy. The agency’s involvement in the interference of the 2016 United States presidential election underscores the need for governments and social media platforms to take steps to ensure the integrity of democratic processes and protect against online propaganda and disinformation.