I bumped into some officials from the research and development unit of the parent company of the internet giant during a visit to Kyiv four years ago. I assumed they were selling the latest tech innovation. They had just returned from a risky fact-finding mission on the front lines of the war in Donbas, Ukraine, to study digital conflict and misinformation.
They and I were alarmed by what they saw. There was evidence that the Russians were using Ukraine as a laboratory to develop digital warfare, similar to what happened in the US elections.
Russian information warfare has emerged as a key component of Russian strategy according to a US military report at the time.
Ukrainian soldiers and civilians who spoke with the Jigsaw team seemed ill-equipped to fight those cyber attacks. It felt like no match at all. Project Shield is a digital tool that was offered to Ukraine to help citizen groups counter cyber attacks that suppress or distort information. The denial of service attacks are used by hackers. Digital critics wanted the tech giants to take down all the misinformation themselves.
The world is focused on the bloody tragedy of the physical war in Ukraine. A second fight has taken place in cyberspace. The Ukrainians appear to have triumphed in a way that has astounded many outsiders.
The Russians have not launched many successful cyber attacks yet. In the information war, little green men are missing in action, although the war is intensifying in Russia.
Russia's information attacks have been neutered by Ukraine, except in a few places. It launched a successful information onslaught for different audiences. The population has been receiving timely content designed to foster resistance and unity. Check out this week's video messages about ordinary citizens getting married on the front lines.
In spite of its controls, Ukraine has tried to push content into Russia. The RF200 Telegram channel shows videos of captured Russian soldiers. There is a lot of English-language content targeting western audiences. Kira Rudik is a telegenic parliamentarian who has amassed a vast audience talking about life in her former shoe cupboard turned bomb shelter.
Is the content accurate? No, there is a lot of cheerleading. It doesn't always follow global standards. The videos of Russian soldiers violate the ThirdGeneva Convention, which is supposed to protect prisoners of war against insults and public curiosity.
The key point is that the messaging war has been dominated by Kyiv. It's shocking that Russian manipulation campaigns were successful in places such as America and eastern Ukraine. When I think of what I saw in the last year, I feel very emotional.
What is the reason for the turnabout? Cyber and disinformation attacks work best when there is a conflict. No amount of propaganda will win the hearts and minds of a population that is sheltered from missiles. Volodymyr Zelensky, along with some of his advisers, once ran a television production company, so he knows why content creation matters in today's world.
The long-running war in Donbas made Ukrainian officials acutely aware of the country's vulnerabilities and they were keen to address them with any outside expertise they could find.
They were battle-hardened after several years of war. The experience taught them that fighting misinformation requires unified political will.
Follow her on social media, and email her at gillian.tett@ft.com.
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