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.
Brad Hanlon in The Hill: Congressional CEO Grillings Can’t Solve Disinformation. We Need A Public Interest Regulator
Last Thursday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held yet another hearing to grill social media CEOs about the mis- and disinformation on their platforms. While much of the hearing consisted of members soliciting soundbites from the executives [...]
Hamilton Toplines: March 22-28, 2021
Russian state media last week hammered the United States over its response to the migrant crisis at the southern border, suggesting that the Biden administration is intentionally downplaying and concealing the poor conditions. State media amplified [...]
Defending 2020: What Worked, What Didn’t, and What’s Next
Executive Summary The 2016 presidential election served as a wakeup call to the threat of authoritarian interference, and in the years since, many segments of American society—from the federal government to private companies and civil society gro [...]
Hamilton Toplines: March 15-21, 2021
Following the publication of the U.S. intelligence community’s assessment of foreign interference in the 2020 election, Russian state media last week highlighted predictable backlash and denials from Russian government figures, with a small amount o [...]
David Salvo on Russia’s Motivations for Attempting to Interfere in the U.S. Elections
Acting Director David Salvo joined Julie Mason to discuss Russia’s tools, tactics, and motivations for attempting to interfere in the U.S. elections. Related reading: Leaks, Lies, and Altered Tape: Russia’s Maturing Information Manipulation Playbook [...]
Nad’a Kovalčíková Discusses the Impact of Disinformation in Poland, the Balkans, and the EU with the Geremka Foundation
Program Manager and Fellow Nad’a Kovalčíková joined the Geremka Foundation to discuss information manipulation in Europe and possible policy measures to better address it, with a focus on EU, Poland and Western Balkans. Disinformation is currently [...]
Messaging Authoritarianism: China’s Four Messaging Pillars and How ‘Wolf Warrior’ Tactics Undermine Them
A messaging strategy is only as good as the goal it serves; as Xi Jinping has made clear, China is seeking to make the world safer for its brand of authoritarianism by reshaping the world order. An analysis of messaging from China’s diplomats, state [...]
Nad’a Kovalčíková on Visegrad Countries’ Efforts to Combat Coronavirus Disinformation in Euractiv
Just as the other EU countries, the Visegrad states are endangered by the amplification of manipulated information, and the coronavirus pandemic has only contributed to the problem. Combatting disinformation is a whole society effort that requires a [...]
QAnon and Anti-Vax Conspiracy Theories Pose a Threat to Democracy Beyond National Borders
With the advent of COVID-19 vaccines in Europe, there is hope for an end to the pandemic. But vaccination campaigns have come under fire by the mainstreaming of conspiracy theories such as QAnon and conspiracy videos like Plandemic, which erode trus [...]
Hamilton Toplines: March 8-14, 2021
Prior to President Biden’s address to the nation last Thursday, Russian state media covered speculation and reported concerns about Biden’s lack of press conferences, at times questioning his physical and/or mental health. They also highlighted an i [...]
The Kremlin’s Propagandists Come to Clubhouse: Malign Influence Descends on Silicon Valley’s Newest Unicorn
Every few years gives rise to a novel social media app that takes smartphone users by storm. Clubhouse, the invite-only, audio-based app that feels like TED Talks meets 1980s radio call-in show, has rapidly grown in recent months, offering a platfor [...]
Hamilton Toplines: March 1-7, 2021
Last week, a prominent theme in Russian messaging around coronavirus vaccines targeted the prospect of Sputnik V’s approval in the EU, with the vaccine’s Twitter account calling for the EU’s European Medicines Agency to review and approve it (the ap [...]