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.
Interference Matters
Inflaming Divides: Russian Narratives on the California Wildfires
Hamilton Toplines: February 7–February 13, 2022
Russia Russian officials last week continued to insist that Moscow has no plans to invade Ukraine and made more calls for diplomatic solutions. Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations claimed there is “not even a hint of common sense [...]
Beijing Olympics: A Long Way From Gold
Overview Chinese diplomats and state media’s relentless promotion of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics between November 1, 2021 and February 1, 2022 highlights the crucial importance of the games for China. More than a sporting competition, Beijing s [...]
Hamilton Toplines: January 31–February 6, 2022
Russia Russian officials and state media last week pushed familiar narratives about Ukraine, claiming NATO is the aggressor and Russia is seeking a peaceful solution. On February 1, President Vladimir Putin spoke for the first time since December ab [...]
The U.S. Warning of a Fake Russian Video Isn’t Alex Jones Territory
Last Thursday, AP reporter Matt Lee accused State Department spokesperson Ned Price of crossing into “Alex Jones territory.” Lee made the argument after Price refused to give evidence to support a U.S. claim that Russia was planning to release a fak [...]
Hamilton Toplines: January 24–30, 2022
Russia Russian diplomats and state-directed media last week continued to claim that Russia does not want to go to war in Ukraine, where the Kremlin has perpetuated a conflict since 2014. “If it depends on Russia, there will be no war,” Foreign Minis [...]
How is Russia Covering the Crisis in Ukraine?
For months, Russian propagandists have been preparing for a potential war by framing Ukraine and the West as aggressors. We compiled data from our weekly Hamilton 2.0 reports to shine a light on how Russian officials and state media have messaged ar [...]
Chinese Disinformation in the Black Sea Region and Western Balkans
Speakers: Laura Thornton Director & Senior Fellow – Alliance for Securing Democracy (GMF) Sorin Ioniță Analyst & Civic Leader – Expert Forum Stefan Vladisavljev Author - China Observers Moderator: Alexandra Martin Rethink.CEE Fellow – GMF Di [...]
Joseph Bodnar in Inkstick: Russia’s Pursuit of Pretext in Ukraine
Russia’s campaign to justify an increasingly likely invasion of Ukraine became more blatant over the past few weeks. Moscow has used diplomacy, disinformation, and cyber operations to set the stage for a Kremlin-directed provocation that could be de [...]
Hamilton Toplines: January 17–23, 2022
Russia Russian officials and state media last week framed the West as being solely responsible for increasing the chance of war in Ukraine. RT, Sputnik, and others closely followed shipments of Western military aid to the country. Foreign Ministry s [...]
Hamilton Toplines: January 10–16, 2022
Russia Russian officials and state media last week focused on three rounds of high-level diplomatic meetings between Russia and the West. Kremlin-linked accounts gave live updates of U.S.-Russia talks in Geneva on January 10. State media complained [...]
ASD Hamilton Data Covered Exclusively in Foreign Policy: Russian Propagandists Zero In on Kazakh Crisis
Intense interest by diplomats and state media underscores the significance of Russia’s intervention. Russian propaganda accounts on Twitter went into overdrive this month as troops from a Russian-led regional security organization were dispatched t [...]
Are Russia and China Teaming Up Against America in a Global Information War? Yes and No.
The Kremlin and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as constant critics of the United States, naturally converge in the information space. The themes and narratives they disseminate about the United States and Western democracies show remarkable cons [...]