CYBERWAR/RUSSIA/SOCIAL MEDIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “An all-out social media push by Russia to elect Donald Trump tricked 30 million people into sharing posts and aimed to convince blacks and Latinos not to vote. That’s according to Senate-issued reports that found a ‘sweeping and sustained’ effort to boost Trump’s candidacy at key moments — think debates, conventions and Election Day — using Facebook, Instagram and more. Who did the reports? Oxford University fielded one, along with social analysis firm Graphika. A second report came from New Knowledge, a cybersecurity firm. Both debuted Monday [12-17-18]. How did it aim to help Trump? The Oxford report found Russian efforts targeted blacks, Latinos and LGBT people to get voters ‘to boycott the election, abstain from voting for (Hillary) Clinton, or to spread cynicism about participating in the election in general.’ Meanwhile, conservatives ‘were actively encouraged to get behind Trump’s campaign.'”
–USA Today Staff, “Trump’s biggest fans on Facebook? Russian trolls, perhaps,” USA Today, December 17, 2018 4:56 pm