Pro-Brexit Twitter account with 100,000 followers could be part of Russian 'disinformation campaign'

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A “passionate Brexit supporter” with more than 100,000 Twitter followers could be in the pay of the Russian government as part of an international disinformation campaign, analysts have said. Ben Nimmo, a fellow at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, said all signs pointed to the person or people behind “Jones’s” account being employed by the Russian government. Mr Nimmo said the “factory” workers also worked 12-hour shifts during Russian working hours, adding: “There’s a pattern into which this account fits.” open image in gallery Tweets in the aftermath of the shooting down of MH17 by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine The analyst said that although many of the viewpoints espoused by “Jones”, such as anti-immigration, nationalism, anti-Islam, “deep state” conspiracy theories and opposition to leading Western figures like Angela Merkel, cross over with the far-right, there were also more niche Russian interests. “This is influence by an agent of a foreign government – this account was interacting with real people who believed it was real.” Global scrutiny of Russian state media, alleged disinformation campaigns, cyber attacks and espionage has increased amid rising tensions over the US election, Ukraine, human rights and Moscow’s support for the Syrian regime.