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Russian TV Airs Fake Report on DeepSeek’s ‘Soviet Code

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A fabricated Russian news story claiming that China’s DeepSeek AI app is based on secret Soviet code has made its way onto state TV, illustrating a wave of nostalgia in Russia for a bygone era of technological might. The hoax originated from Panorama, a satirical fake news outlet that openly publishes fictional content. The fake report featured an interview with DeepSeek’s founder, Liang Wenfeng, who was quoted as praising Soviet-era programmers and their alleged role in developing the code for the AI startup.

According to the spoof, the DeepSeek code was allegedly created in 1985 by a team led by Viktor Glushkov, a renowned Soviet scientist credited with developing the first personal computer in the Soviet Union in the 1960s. Glushkov was also behind the creation of a data-processing network designed to manage the Soviet planned economy, which some argue contained early features of artificial intelligence.

Despite its fictional nature, the story gained traction, appearing on Rossiya One, a national state television channel, as if it were genuine news. It was further amplified on social media, with prominent figures like Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov sharing the report, calling the Soviet Union “the most educated and advanced country”—a post that was later deleted.

Russia’s domestic AI landscape, however, lags behind its global competitors, ranking 31st out of 83 nations for AI implementation, investment, and innovation, according to the Global AI Index by UK-based Tortoise Media. Russia not only trails technological giants like the United States and China but also faces stiff competition from other BRICS members like India and Brazil. Despite boasting two significant domestic AI models, Russia closely monitors China’s AI advancements, particularly the success of DeepSeek’s recent models, which have shaken up the global tech scene.

German TikTok Users Show Greater Sympathy for China, Russia, Poll Reveals

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Germans who rely on TikTok for news are less critical of China and Russia and more skeptical of climate change and vaccine effectiveness compared to consumers of traditional media, according to a recent survey by Allensbach, commissioned by a foundation linked to Germany’s liberal Free Democrats.

The poll highlights that only 28.1% of TikTok users fully agreed that China is a dictatorship, compared to 57% of newspaper readers and 56.5% of public TV viewers. Similarly, just 13.6% of TikTok users supported Western backing for Ukraine in its war against Russia, a view shared by 40.2% of national newspaper readers.

The findings come amid U.S. debates on whether to enforce a ban on TikTok over national security concerns, adding weight to arguments that the Chinese-owned app spreads misinformation that could undermine democratic societies.

Key Findings:

  • Perception of China: TikTok users are less likely to view China as a dictatorship.
  • Views on Russia: Fewer TikTok users see Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as illegal or support Germany aiding Kyiv.
  • Skepticism on Vaccines and Climate Change: Only 69% of TikTok users under 29 agreed that vaccines saved millions of lives, compared to 71% of all under-29s.
  • Distrust in Media: TikTok users are more likely to distrust traditional Western media and to believe the German government spreads misinformation, while being less critical of disinformation from China and Russia.

These attitudes align with broader trends among younger Germans, who are TikTok’s core demographic and have shown increased support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in recent elections.

Disinformation Concerns

The survey also raises alarms about foreign actors, especially Russia, spreading disinformation via social media platforms to advance their agendas. Researchers cited parallels with Romania, where a pro-Russian outsider gained significant traction through social media campaigns in a presidential election later annulled.

Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, deputy chair of the foundation behind the survey, emphasized TikTok’s influence, saying, “Young people are far more vulnerable to information, and TikTok plays a decisive role. We mustn’t allow Chinese and Russian misinformation to spread in our midst.”

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has not commented on the survey.

 

Russian Court Fines Google $78 Million for Ignoring Previous Penalties

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A Moscow court fined Alphabet’s Google 8 billion roubles ($77.9 million) on Tuesday for failing to comply with earlier penalty orders, as announced by the Moscow courts press service via Telegram. This fine is significantly higher than the typical fines of around 4 million roubles that are usually issued for such violations.

For years, Russia has pressured foreign technology companies to remove content it considers illegal, imposing incremental penalties for non-compliance. The Chertanovo District Court in Moscow stated that the latest fine was related to Google’s failure to comply with an administrative punishment, though it did not disclose specifics about the violation.

YouTube, owned by Google, has been a frequent target of criticism from Russian authorities. Once drawing approximately 50 million daily users in Russia, YouTube’s audience has reportedly dropped to around 12 million. Russian officials have accused Google of failing to upgrade equipment, allegedly leading to disruptions in YouTube’s download speeds. Critics argue that these disruptions are intentional efforts to hinder access to content critical of President Vladimir Putin’s government—an allegation Russia denies.

In December, President Putin accused Google of acting as a tool of the U.S. government for political gain. Google has not yet commented on the latest ruling.