Securing Democracy From Autocratic Interference
The Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund of the United States develops comprehensive strategies to deter, defend against, and raise the costs on autocratic efforts to undermine and interfere in democratic institutions. Working with policymakers, the private sector, and civil society, we advance innovative thinking to better understand and counter threats to democracies worldwide, share lessons learned, and develop strategies that go beyond the standard policy toolbox.
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By Vassilis Ntousas
A Spate of Scandals: Europe’s Response to Foreign Interference
Often criticized for their lack of mettle in combatting foreign interference, European institutions have shown signs of increased combativeness in recent weeks. A whole bevy of cash-for-influence, election interference, and espionage cases have been [...]
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Expert Spotlight
Senior Fellow and Head, Information Manipulation Team
Bret Schafer is a senior fellow and head of the Alliance for Securing Democracy’s information manipulation team. Bret is the creator and manager of Hamilton 2.0, an online open-source dashboard tracking the outputs of Russian, Chinese, and Iranian state media outlets, diplomats, and government officials. As an expert in computational propaganda, state-backed information operations, and tech regulation, he has spoken at conferences around the globe and advised numerous governments and international organizations. His research has appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post, and he has been interviewed on NPR, MSNBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, and the BBC.
Senior Fellow and Head, Malign Finance Team
Josh is the senior fellow for malign finance at the Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund. He is an expert in the financial channels that enable autocratic efforts to undermine and interfere in democratic institutions. Josh has researched and authored leading work on authoritarian malign finance, strategic corruption, and kleptocracy, as well as public policies to deter, detect, defund, and defend against these threats. He regularly gives private briefings and public testimonies to governmental bodies, including the U.S. Congress to the European Parliament. Josh frequently appears on national and international television, radio, and podcast programs, and has published work in The Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The American Interest, Dallas Morning News, Just Security, and The Hill.
Senior Fellow and Head, Emerging Technologies Team
Lindsay Gorman is the Senior Fellow for Emerging Technologies at the German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democracy. She leads ASD’s work on US-China technology competition, including efforts on AI, quantum information, 5G and advanced telecommunications, democratic responses to autocratic technology influence and interference, cybersecurity, and transatlantic innovation. Lindsay regularly delivers keynote addresses and briefs senior leaders across the Atlantic on China’s digital technology and building a democratic approach to emerging technologies. Her analysis regularly appears in outlets including The New York Times, Washington Post, and The Atlantic, and she frequently appears in TV and radio interviews on CBS News, NPR, and Bloomberg. She is also a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the Truman National Security Project, and an awardee of the U.S. State Department Speaker Program.
Senior Fellow, Elections Integrity
David is the senior elections integrity fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, where he assesses vulnerabilities in electoral infrastructure, administration, and policies. David is also an advisory committee member for the Global Cyber Alliance’s Cybersecurity Toolkit for Elections, an advisory council member for The Election Reformers Network, a member of the Election Verification Network, and a contributor to the Fulcrum. David’s research interests and recent publications focus on election access, trust and security, and the nexus between external threats from malign actors and the challenges many democracies face in conducting free and fair elections. David’s work has been published and quoted in USA Today, New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Bloomberg Technology, The Hill, Business Insider, MIT Technology Review, BBC, EU Observer, and others.