Authoritarian regimes and their proxies use social media, other online information platforms, and traditional media to attempt to shape global and domestic narratives; to sow chaos and confusion in democracies; and to undermine democratic processes. Find ASD’s work on the many ways malign actors manipulate information to interfere in democracies, including by spreading disinformation, on this page.
Hamilton Toplines: August 1–7, 2022
Russia Monitored Russian accounts sent 16,344 tweets, generating 178,980 retweets and 532,493 likes. Kremlin-linked accounts last week focused on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, calling the trip a provocation, amplifying China’s [...]
Bret Schafer Quoted in The New York Times: How Russian Propaganda Is Reaching Beyond English Speakers
At the beginning of Russia's war in Ukraine, Facebook, Twitter, and major social media platforms blocked or limited the reach of Russian state media in the West, and created a patchwork of restrictions across the globe. As a result, Russian propagan [...]
David Salvo Dissects Hungarian Prime Minister Orban’s Speech at CPAC on CSPAN
David Salvo talked about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s remarks at the 2022 CPAC conference. [...]
Etienne Soula in China Observers: China’s Global South Messaging Hits a Snag in Sri Lanka
The Chinese government is messaging loudly that a China-centric international order would best serve the interests of the Global South. The current crisis in Sri Lanka seems to run counter to that narrative. After months of unrest, Sri Lankan presid [...]
Hamilton Toplines: July 25–31, 2022
Russia Monitored Russian accounts tweeted 16,217 times last week, pulling in 189,410 retweets and 549,373 likes. Kremlin-linked accounts last week focused much of their messaging around the EU’s dependence on Russian gas. While RT explained that “te [...]
David Salvo and Rachael Dean Wilson on Election Security and Disinformation Ahead of the Midterms on WURD
WURD Radio · Reality Check 7.27.22 - Rachael Dean Wilson And David Salvo David Salvo and Rachael Dean Wilson from the Alliance for Securing Democracy joined Charles to discuss election security and disinformation ahead of the 2022 midterms. [...]
Rachael Dean Wilson and David Salvo Discuss How Authoritarian Governments are Influencing Pennsylvania Elections with World Affairs Council Pittsburgh
Exacerbating polarization in America is a strategic move for authoritarian governments like Russia, China, and Iran. A democracy entangled in its own disagreements is a weakened player on the world stage and a boon for competitor nations. Iran and R [...]
Rachael Dean Wilson and David Salvo Unpack the Rise of Mis/Disinformation and its Effects on Pennsylvania Voters with World Affairs Council Pittsburgh
From fervent attacks on US political campaigns to mis, dis, and mal-information targeting trust in our elections, autocratic interference in democracy is truly a global challenge with local implications. As voters in a key swing state, Pennsylvanian [...]
Rachael Dean Wilson and David Salvo in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Don’t Be Fooled, Our Elections Are Safe
“One of the biggest threats to our elections and to democracy in general is misinformation and disinformation. Whether intentional or unintentional, both reduce voters’ confidence in the electoral process, and in turn, discourage participation,” act [...]
Hamilton Toplines: July 18–24, 2022
Russia Monitored Russian accounts tweeted 15,939 times last week, pulling in 165,609 retweets and 506,058 likes. Russian propagandists last week focused on Vladimir Putin’s trip to Tehran and the agreements he reached with the leaders of Iran and Tu [...]
Hamilton Toplines: July 11–17, 2022
Russia Monitored Russian government and state media accounts tweeted 15,282 times last week, generating 170,562 retweets and 523,930 likes. Kremlin linked outlets used US President Joe Biden’s Middle East trip to paint him as inconsistent, submissiv [...]
Hamilton Monthly Report: June 2022
Top Takeaways The downward spiral of Russian state media on Twitter and Facebook continued in June. Monitored Russian accounts on Twitter saw a 17 percent decline in retweets and an 18 percent decline in likes compared to May, while state media Page [...]