The World Affairs Council of Charlotte held an exclusive lunch event on Thursday, May 29 featuring ASD experts who unpacked how countries like Russia, China, and Iran are actively shaping public discourse and influencing communities in North Carolina and across the country through digital propaganda campaigns and misinformation.
Grounded in ASD’s report, “The State(s) of Foreign Information Operations: A State-by-State Look at Foreign Information Manipulation in the United States,” these conversations revealed how US adversaries are targeting government institutions, exploiting trusted community voices, and using sophisticated tactics including AI-generated content to destabilize American democracy.
Featured Panelists:
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David Salvo, Managing Director, Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund and former US Foreign Service Officer with expertise in authoritarian influence operations and foreign policy strategy.
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Bret Schafer, Senior Fellow, Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund leads the Alliance’s work on tracking and countering digital propaganda focusing on foreign influence in the US information space.
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Krystyna Sikora, Research Analyst, Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund and co-author of the State(s) of Foreign Information Operations report, specializing in mapping real-world examples of foreign interference in local communities.
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