00:04Welcome to the Cube Euronews' fact-checking show.
00:07Take a look at these videos, which look just like genuine reports
00:11from some of Germany's biggest news organisations.
00:14For example, this fake Spiegel video claims that more than 82% of young Germans
00:19would like to see East Germany restored.
00:23And this false CDF video says that property owners in Western Germany
00:27would rather rent to foreigners than to Eastern Germans.
00:31Other videos mimic the logos of Bill's T-Online and even the military think tank
00:36the Institute for the Study of War.
00:38These kinds of videos have spread across ex-Blue Sky and Chinese-owned TikTok since June
00:43with at least 100 posts across platforms.
00:46But none of these videos or headlines are real.
00:48Instead, these videos insert respected branding onto a video to push a false claim.
00:54Researchers say these posts are part of a coordinated influence campaign tied to Russia,
00:59ahead of Germany's elections in September.
01:02It's an important year for the country with two elections in Eastern states,
01:07Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
01:10Both are being closely watched, with polls suggesting the far-right AFD can make gains.
01:15Despite featuring different stories, they all promote the narrative
01:18that Germany is becoming more divided between East and West.
01:22We spoke to experts who said that this campaign, like other Moscow-linked efforts,
01:26seeks to exploit existing social tensions.
01:29Despite Germany being reunified for decades,
01:32East-West tensions remain a political fault line that foreign-influenced efforts can exploit.
01:37So far, however, there is little evidence that shows that Moscow-linked propaganda
01:42can sway public opinion.
01:46We'll see you in the next video.
01:48one minute.
01:49Two minutes.
01:49Two minutes.
01:49One night.
01:49One night.
01:49Last night.
01:49Two minutes.
01:49Another night.
