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stevenleser

(32,886 posts)
Tue Jun 23, 2015, 10:38 PM Jun 2015

Russian Internet "Troll Factory" sued for underpaying workers, and capitulates

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/24/russian-troll-factory-sued-underpayment-labour-violations-vladimir-putin?CMP=share_btn_link

The secretive Russian agency that hires people to write pro-Kremlin propaganda on the web stepped into the public spotlight for the first time on Tuesday as a former employee took it to court.

The Agency for Internet Studies, which runs what has been called a “troll factory” from a nondescript St Petersburg address, is being sued by employee Lyudmila Savchuk for alleged underpayment and various labour violations.

Savchuk says she was one of many paid to write comments online supporting the policies of Vladimir Putin.

The agency is now seeking to avoid public scrutiny by offering to compensate her. Yekaterina Nazarova, defending, told the Petrogradsky district court judge the agency was ready to settle with Savchuk, who had asked for a symbolic sum of 10,000 roubles (£118).
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Bwahahahaha
26 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Russian Internet "Troll Factory" sued for underpaying workers, and capitulates (Original Post) stevenleser Jun 2015 OP
This is just too freaking funny. hrmjustin Jun 2015 #1
As they say, truth is stranger than fiction, and in this case funnier too. stevenleser Jun 2015 #6
I guess RT is just not cutting it anymore. hrmjustin Jun 2015 #7
My first thought, too. 'The last bastion of journalistic freedom' is not without perils. n/t freshwest Jun 2015 #16
I wonder if a few former DUers will ever get paid....! MADem Jun 2015 #2
I hope they got paid Duckhunter935 Jun 2015 #3
I served on a few juries, and I couldn't believe how many people voted to leave. MADem Jun 2015 #4
There are a few too many folks here who will swallow anything that makes the U.S. Seem like stevenleser Jun 2015 #8
Yes--one has to wonder why anyone would want to immigrate to USA! MADem Jun 2015 #9
I wonder if Greenwald will cover this in the Intercept? Or if Snowden will stevenleser Jun 2015 #5
The Intercept has a Cone of Silence around All Things Russian!! MADem Jun 2015 #11
You took the words out of my mouth. greatauntoftriplets Jun 2015 #25
US gov't pays its troll factory people much better. nt Cheese Sandwich Jun 2015 #10
You and MattSh below need to get your stories straight. nt stevenleser Jun 2015 #18
Are you kidding? I haven't gotten a paycheck from them in months. NuclearDem Jun 2015 #20
RW trolls get it done for free n/t malaise Jun 2015 #22
Is that why we're not seeing the same level of enthusiasm? Tarheel_Dem Jun 2015 #12
DOAN WORRY, WILL BE HER SOON... freshwest Jun 2015 #17
Heh, the USA trolls farms don't need to hire or pay people... MattSh Jun 2015 #13
You and Cheese Sandwich need to get your stories straight. nt stevenleser Jun 2015 #19
Hilarious, but... moondust Jun 2015 #14
In Russia, suit wins you. lovemydog Jun 2015 #15
I laughed. FSogol Jun 2015 #21
LOL... SidDithers Jun 2015 #23
I think they are still here. They've mostly stopped posting in OP's about Russia because it has stevenleser Jun 2015 #26
Oh, the irony BainsBane Jun 2015 #24
 

stevenleser

(32,886 posts)
6. As they say, truth is stranger than fiction, and in this case funnier too.
Tue Jun 23, 2015, 10:58 PM
Jun 2015

I hope the woman who sued, and her lawyer, leave Russia ASAP.

Vladimir Vladimirovich doesn't like losing face.

MADem

(135,425 posts)
2. I wonder if a few former DUers will ever get paid....!
Tue Jun 23, 2015, 10:42 PM
Jun 2015
The agency, located in the north of Russia’s second-largest city, is blamed by observers for doing the Kremlin’s dirty work on the internet, polluting news websites with inflammatory comments and manipulating social networks into blocking anti-Putin bloggers.

The phenomenon has become particularly intense during the conflict in Ukraine, with some reports claiming the agency has expanded into foreign languages, pictures and videos, and is even running its own news sites.

Savchuk’s lawyer. Ivan Pavlov, said the result of Tuesday’s hearing – the second this month after the agency skipped the first – was “unexpected” and he suspected the defendant of trying to escape the public eye.

“I suppose the defendant considers it a lesser evil to recognise the lawsuit and pay compensation,” he said.


http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/24/russian-troll-factory-sued-underpayment-labour-violations-vladimir-putin?CMP=share_btn_link
Hilarious.

MADem

(135,425 posts)
4. I served on a few juries, and I couldn't believe how many people voted to leave.
Tue Jun 23, 2015, 10:50 PM
Jun 2015

Either people like trolls, or they don't understand the issues, or they seeded the place full of juror-trolls!

 

stevenleser

(32,886 posts)
8. There are a few too many folks here who will swallow anything that makes the U.S. Seem like
Tue Jun 23, 2015, 11:07 PM
Jun 2015

the bad guy in any situation, No matter how ridiculous the posit.

The nonsense screeds by Putin's troll factory found a welcome home among those folks.

MADem

(135,425 posts)
9. Yes--one has to wonder why anyone would want to immigrate to USA!
Tue Jun 23, 2015, 11:40 PM
Jun 2015

All they'd have to do is spend a week or two reading this board, and they might be intimidated!

I lived half my life outside this country--and one might say, eh, America....it's not all that great, until you compare it with a LOT of others!!!

I think our immigrant population is what makes us so very unique, we have strength in diversity. We also have some mean assholes who want to turn the dial back to 1776 in terms of our diversity, and reinstitute some of the old power structure too.

I say bring on the immigrants!

MADem

(135,425 posts)
11. The Intercept has a Cone of Silence around All Things Russian!!
Tue Jun 23, 2015, 11:45 PM
Jun 2015

Even wikileaks manages to lose the "Russian paperwork!"

Afraid, perhaps, that a Russian hitman riding a bear will make short work of 'em...?

Oooooooh, makes you wonder....

I think someone bought a stairway to a halfassed heaven....

 

NuclearDem

(16,184 posts)
20. Are you kidding? I haven't gotten a paycheck from them in months.
Wed Jun 24, 2015, 09:08 AM
Jun 2015

Monsanto and TEPCO, on the other hand, are always on time.

MattSh

(3,714 posts)
13. Heh, the USA trolls farms don't need to hire or pay people...
Wed Jun 24, 2015, 02:24 AM
Jun 2015

It's mostly automated, and one troll can be 100 trolls using such automation.

That's American Ingenuity, Russia! Top that!

SidDithers

(44,228 posts)
23. LOL...
Wed Jun 24, 2015, 09:19 AM
Jun 2015

The boot-lickers have been somewhat absent from DU lately too.

Wonder if there's a connection.



Sid

 

stevenleser

(32,886 posts)
26. I think they are still here. They've mostly stopped posting in OP's about Russia because it has
Wed Jun 24, 2015, 09:27 AM
Jun 2015

become embarrassingly untenable for them to try to make excuses for Putin.

BainsBane

(53,001 posts)
24. Oh, the irony
Wed Jun 24, 2015, 09:24 AM
Jun 2015

All those in the US who believe they are promoting a leftist cause, a cause that exploits labor so badly it loses in Russian court.

It's both funny and tragic.

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