# Maffick

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For the Edwardian slang term, see [Siege of Mafeking#Aftermath](/source/Siege_of_Mafeking#Aftermath).

**Maffick LLC** is a [social media](/source/Social_media) digital content company based in [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles), [California](/source/California) that has been labelled a [Russian](/source/Russia) state-backed entity by [Facebook](/source/Facebook), [Twitter](/source/Twitter), [TikTok](/source/TikTok) and [YouTube](/source/YouTube) due to its connections to German-based Maffick Media [GmbH](/source/Gesellschaft_mit_beschr%C3%A4nkter_Haftung), which was majority owned by [RT (Russia Today)](/source/RT_(TV_network)) subsidiary [Ruptly](/source/Ruptly).[1][2] In December 2021, Maffick LLC registered under the [Foreign Agent Registration Act](/source/Foreign_Agents_Registration_Act) (FARA) as being financed by [ANO TV-Novosti](/source/RT_(TV_network)).[3] It was incorporated in 2019, while its main channel is *In the Now*, launched in 2016.

On February 28, 2022, CEO [Anissa Naouai](/source/Anissa_Naouai) terminated Maffick's service agreement with RT following the [2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine](/source/2022_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine).[4][5]

## Brands

According to CNN, Maffick "videos are generally critical of U.S. foreign policy and the mainstream American media, while largely avoiding criticism of the Russian government."[6] Its content is targeted at American [millennials](/source/Millennials).[7]

The company operates three major channels: *In the Now* (ITN), *Wasted-ED*, and *Soapbox*.[8] By mid-2018, *In The Now* had three million likes on [Facebook](/source/Facebook);[9] by mid-2020, it had five million followers.[10] Maffick appears affiliated with a similar group, Maffick Moscow, which runs a [Russian-language](/source/Russian_language) website and social media accounts.[11]

Maffick launched a political [podcast](/source/Podcast) on [Apple Podcast](/source/Apple_Podcast), [Spotify](/source/Spotify), and [Audible](/source/Audible_(service)) in October 2021, under the brand Maffick Podcasts, called *Left Bitches (who are Right).*[12]

## History

### In The Now

*In The Now* began as a programme on RT, fronted by Anissa Naouai, which became a stand-alone entity in June 2016. *[BuzzFeed News](/source/BuzzFeed_News)* described it as "news served hot with a side of smile and a big dollop of propaganda".[6][13] *In The Now* changed its Twitter handle from @InTheNowRT to @InTheNow_Tweet, but used the same [IP address](/source/IP_address) as RT.[14]

[NBC](/source/NBC) observed Maffick's content, for instance on the [Syrian civil war](/source/Syrian_civil_war), promoted pro-Russian geopolitical positions.[14] Early [viral hits](/source/Viral_phenomenon) included Canadian blogger [Eva Bartlett](/source/Eva_Bartlett) defending the legitimacy of the [2014 Syrian presidential election](/source/2014_Syrian_presidential_election), another attacking Syria's [White Helmets civil defence volunteers](/source/White_Helmets_(Syrian_Civil_War)), and one of Naouai describing messages from civilians in [besieged Aleppo](/source/Battle_of_Aleppo_(2012%E2%80%932016)) as "a coordinated PR campaign". Both videos were promoted by RT, Russian embassies, and then right-wing social media personalities, although RT stated that the platform was editorially independent from the main news channel.[13][15][16]

According to the [Atlantic Council](/source/Atlantic_Council)'s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRL), RT's parent company, [ANO TV-Novosti](/source/ANO_TV-Novosti), had registered *In The Now'*s website.[17] DFRL also reported that its audience in the US was concentrated among 18-24 year olds.[17] The DFRL described the content as mostly non-ideological, but added that the 8% of content which was deemed ideological had a strong pro-Russian slant; the report alleged various inaccuracies in this content, such as the statement that [NATO](/source/NATO) was involved in the [Bosnian conflict](/source/Bosnian_conflict) to “surround Russia” or that [Google](/source/Google) censored anti-[Hillary Clinton](/source/Hillary_Clinton) websites. In particular, the DFRL noted strong anti-Clinton bias in the [2016 U.S. presidential election](/source/2016_United_States_presidential_election) coverage, including running several stories previously debunked by fact-checking website [Snopes](/source/Snopes).[17]

### Maffick Media

Maffick Media [GmbH](/source/GmbH) was a [Berlin](/source/Berlin)-based subsidiary of [Ruptly](/source/Ruptly), which has been accused of being under editorial control of the Russian government.[18] Maffick Media was 51% owned by Ruptly and 49% by Anissa Naouai.[6] It shared an address in Berlin with Ruptly and with Redfish, another RT spin-off brand.[18][19] It was originally set up as a holding company for *In The Now*.[6] Maffick ran three other [Facebook](/source/Facebook) pages: *Soapbox*, focusing on current affairs, *Waste-Ed*, on environmental issues, and Backthen, a history channel. The three pages had over 30 million video views in the first months.[6] From September 2018, it hired several contractors in [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles).[6]

In summer 2018, its video of Anna Dovgalyuk, a Russian social media star, campaigning against [manspreading](/source/Manspreading) was watched by millions, but the [European Union](/source/European_Union)'s [EUvsDisinfo](/source/East_StratCom_Task_Force) website alleged that it had been staged as a Kremlin propaganda operation, and it was removed by [YouTube](/source/YouTube).[9] EUvsDisinfo also accused the channel of promoting disinformation about the [Douma chemical attack](/source/Douma_chemical_attack), including the screening of an interview with a child in [Russian military](/source/Russian_Armed_Forces) custody.[20]

Maffick Media's Facebook accounts were suspended in 2019 after investigations by [CNN](/source/CNN) and [T-online](/source/T-Online) revealed ties to RT and Ruptly. Maffick was defended by RT, which said no official requests to explain the websites were filed with Maffick, and blamed CNN for the controversy. It was also defended by RT Editor-in-Chief [Margarita Simonyan](/source/Margarita_Simonyan) and [Kremlin](/source/Kremlin) spokesman [Dmitry Peskov](/source/Dmitry_Peskov).[7] The pages were restored later that month after they began disclosing their ownership. For example, *Soapbox'*s "About" section now read: "'Soapbox' is a political opinion brand of Maffick, which is owned and operated by Anissa Naouai and Ruptly GmbH, a subsidiary of RT".[21]

The [vimeo](/source/Vimeo) account for Maffick Video, the account that carried Maffick Media video clips, continues to carry Maffick LLC productions, and as of March 2021, the account continues to refer to itself as "a video startup based in Berlin"[22]

Maffick Media continued to be registered in Germany with Naouai as the head until May 7, 2021, when the company was liquidated.[23]

## State propaganda accusations

### Maffick and Russian state ownership

Maffick LLC was incorporated in Summer 2019 by Maffick Media CEO and minority shareholder Anissa Naouai. Naouai founded Maffick LLC in 2019 after moving to Los Angeles and reincorporating its former channels in the new company.[24] The disclosure about Russian state ownership was removed from Maffick's accounts after the new incorporation.[24]

### State media label and Facebook lawsuit

In June 2020, [Facebook](/source/Facebook) labeled Maffick LLC's accounts "state-controlled" due to their connections to Maffick Media.[10] The company sued Facebook in the [Northern District of California](/source/United_States_District_Court_for_the_Northern_District_of_California) in July 2020 for defamation and monetary damages from lost internet traffic.[25][26][27] Maffick's case was dismissed after it was ruled that the company had not proven permanent damage and had largely not disputed Facebook's allegations.[28]

In July 2020, [Twitter](/source/Twitter) also began labelling Maffick content as “Russian state-affiliated”. Naouai said she would contest this.[29]

## Reception

[NBC](/source/NBC) describes Maffick as platforming

sophisticated English-language video and text content for years that experts say is edited and curated in a way designed to exacerbate American political tensions. A lot of it is aimed at younger viewers and the political left, designed to peel them off from the Democratic party, experts say. Some is tailored to gin up outrage on the right.[27]

[Franklin Foer](/source/Franklin_Foer) in *[The Atlantic](/source/The_Atlantic)* says that *In the Now* "build[s] audiences with ephemera (“Man Licks Store Shelves in Online Post”), then hit[s] unsuspecting readers with arguments about Syria and the CIA."[30]

## References

1. ["Facebook Sued Over 'Russia State-Controlled Media' Label"](https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/354380/facebook-sued-over-russia-state-controlled-media.html). *www.mediapost.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201001155022/https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/354380/facebook-sued-over-russia-state-controlled-media.html) 2020-10-01 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-11-03.

1. ["TikTok"](https://www.tiktok.com/@getwasteed). *www.tiktok.com*. Retrieved 2022-07-29.

1. ["Foreign Agent Registration Act"](https://efile.fara.gov/docs/7063-Exhibit-AB-20211220-1.pdf). *efile.fara.gov*. Retrieved 2023-09-26.

1. Anissa Naouai (28 February 2022). "Today I cut all ties with @RT. I have terminated @Maffick's service agreement with the channel and severed all contact. Full stop.". No. 1498434929704665088. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220228230835/https://twitter.com/AnissaNow/status/1498434929704665088) 28 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine.

1. Buckby, Jack (9 March 2022). ["Putin's Propaganda Arm Is Toast: Russia Today (RT) Is Dying"](https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/03/putins-propaganda-arm-is-toast-russia-today-rt-is-dying/). *19fortyfive.com*. Retrieved 29 April 2022.

1. Griffin, Drew; Devine, Curt; Shubert, Atika (2019-02-16). ["Russia is backing a viral video company aimed at American millennials"](https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/15/tech/russia-facebook-viral-videos/index.html). *CNN*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210127071507/https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/15/tech/russia-facebook-viral-videos/index.html) 2021-01-27 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-01-25.

1. Villasanta, Arthur (2020-11-15). ["Russia's RT Slams Facebook For Suspending Anti-US, Pro-Kremlin Viral Video Channels"](https://www.ibtimes.com/russias-rt-slams-facebook-suspending-anti-us-pro-kremlin-viral-video-channels-2765394). *International Business Times*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210130162519/https://www.ibtimes.com/russias-rt-slams-facebook-suspending-anti-us-pro-kremlin-viral-video-channels-2765394) 2021-01-30 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-01-25.

1. ["Welcome to wearemaffick.com"](https://wearemaffick.com/#/channel/soap-box). *wearemaffick.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201101021404/https://wearemaffick.com/#/channel/soap-box) 2020-11-01 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-11-02.

1. Trending, BBC (2018-10-20). ["Anna Dovgalyuk: Why do people think her 'manspreading' video is a Kremlin hoax?"](https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-45828060). *BBC News*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201210191245/https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-45828060) 2020-12-10 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-01-27.

1. Binder, Matt (2020-07-30). ["Facebook sued by news media outlet over 'Russia state-controlled' label"](https://mashable.com/article/facebook-maffick-in-the-now-russian-state-controlled-label/). *Mashable*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210201225519/https://mashable.com/article/facebook-maffick-in-the-now-russian-state-controlled-label/) 2021-02-01 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-01-25.

1. ["Video and films"](https://maffick.ru/). *Maffick*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210228184104/https://maffick.ru/) 2021-02-28 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-03-25.

1. ["Left Bitches (who are right) on Apple Podcasts"](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/left-bitches-who-are-right/id1537849551). *Apple Podcasts*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210323010327/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/left-bitches-who-are-right/id1537849551) 2021-03-23 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-03-25.

1. Daro, Ishmael N. (2016-12-16). ["This Quirky New Viral Video Channel Is Funded By The Russian Government"](https://www.buzzfeed.com/ishmaeldaro/quirky-viral-video-channel-is-funded-by-the-russian-govt). *BuzzFeed*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210226140538/https://www.buzzfeed.com/ishmaeldaro/quirky-viral-video-channel-is-funded-by-the-russian-govt) 2021-02-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-01-27.

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1. Worrall, Patrick (2016-12-20). ["FactCheck: Eva Bartlett's claims about Syrian children"](https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-eva-bartletts-claims-about-syrian-children). *Channel 4 News*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20171223003044/https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-eva-bartletts-claims-about-syrian-children) 2017-12-23 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-01-27.

1. ["5 Major Myths About Syria Debunked"](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/syria-myths-debunked_n_585be4dce4b0d9a594574000?ri18n=true). *HuffPost*. 10 January 2017. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210509200442/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/syria-myths-debunked_n_585be4dce4b0d9a594574000?ri18n=true) 2021-05-09 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-01-27.

1. @DFRLab (2018-01-30). ["Russia's Bid for Millennials"](https://medium.com/@DFRLab/russias-bid-for-millennials-dd9490c74ba9). *Medium*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201109041632/https://medium.com/@DFRLab/russias-bid-for-millennials-dd9490c74ba9) 2020-11-09 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-11-03.

1. Wiebe, Jan-Henrik (2018-10-18). ["Wie russische Medien mitten in Berlin Meinung machen"](https://www.t-online.de/-/84584050) (in German). *www.t-online.de*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210509200445/https://www.t-online.de/nachrichten/deutschland/id_84584050/mitten-in-berlin-russlands-heimliche-medienzentrale-in-europa.html) 2021-05-09 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-01-27.

1. ["Russia's Network of Millennial Media"](https://securingdemocracy.gmfus.org/russias-network-of-millennial-media/). *Alliance For Securing Democracy*. 2019-02-15. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210116020742/https://securingdemocracy.gmfus.org/russias-network-of-millennial-media/) 2021-01-16 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-01-27.

1. ["ICYMI and In The Now: The Support Vessels of the RT Flagship⁩"](https://euvsdisinfo.eu/icymi-and-in-the-now-the-support-vessels-of-the-rt-flagship⁩/). *EU vs DISINFORMATION*. 2018-05-07. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210125135133/https://euvsdisinfo.eu/icymi-and-in-the-now-the-support-vessels-of-the-rt-flagship%E2%81%A9/) 2021-01-25 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-01-27.

1. Birnbaum, Emily (2019-02-25). ["Facebook restores previously suspended Russia-linked pages"](https://thehill.com/policy/technology/431497-facebook-restores-previously-suspended-russia-linked-pages). *TheHill*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201107230345/https://thehill.com/policy/technology/431497-facebook-restores-previously-suspended-russia-linked-pages) 2020-11-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-01-25.

1. ["Maffick Video"](https://vimeo.com/maffickmedia). *Vimeo*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210330202816/https://vimeo.com/maffickmedia) 2021-03-30 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-03-25.

1. ["Unternehmensregister"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210625014835/https://www.unternehmensregister.de/ureg/result.html;jsessionid=2006C4771248C058188948098690CC9C.web01-1?submitaction=showDocument&id=28187936). *www.unternehmensregister.de*. Archived from [the original](https://www.unternehmensregister.de/ureg/result.html;jsessionid=2006C4771248C058188948098690CC9C.web01-1?submitaction=showDocument&id=28187936) on 2021-06-25. Retrieved 2021-06-25.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Maffick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maffick) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maffick?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.