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.
Information Manipulation
Thinning the ICE: Russian and Chinese Messaging on the Los Angeles Protests
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 [...]
Nad’a Kovalčíková Speaks to Euractiv about How Visegrad Countries Can Combat Coronavirus Disinformation
Russia and China, as well as Iran to a certain extent, have used the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to interfere into democratic discourse and to present themselves as internationally responsible actors, while at the same time undermining de [...]
Influence-enza: How Russia, China, and Iran Have Shaped and Manipulated Coronavirus Vaccine Narratives
Introduction When Vladimir Putin announced last August that Russia had granted regulatory approval for Sputnik V, the world’s first coronavirus vaccine, it signaled—albeit perhaps prematurely—not only a potential turning point in the fight to end th [...]
Bret Schafer on Information Warfare and How Social Media Disrupts Democracy on the Jist
Media and Digital Disinformation Fellow Bret Schafer joined Josh Hamilton on The Jist. Bret and Josh first spoke three to discuss the weaponization of information and the threat to democracy. Now, three years later, things have unfortunately not gott [...]
Hamilton Toplines: February 22-28, 2021
Last week, Russian state media seized on a story involving “leaked” U.K. Foreign Office documents that allegedly revealed the “UK government's covert operations aimed at tarnishing Russia's image.” The outlets used the story to accuse both the U.K. [...]
24 Group: How Obscure News Sites Selectively Spread Pro-Kremlin Disinformation
In July 2020, fact-checking and news organizations across Europe and the United States picked up on an emerging disinformation campaign that alleged Ukrainian soldiers died after testing an experimental U.S. COVID-19 vaccine. The story, which was de [...]
Hamilton Toplines: February 8-14, 2021
Last week, Russian state media and diplomats highlighted various instances of alleged censorship by social media companies—a recurring theme in Russia’s external messaging. State media cited Twitter’s ban of Project Veritas as an example of politica [...]
Nad’a Kovalčíková Disinformation During the Coronavirus Pandemic with the European People’s Party
Program Manager and Fellow Nad’a Kovalčíková joined the European People's Party podcast to discuss lessons learned from the Covid-19 infodemic, authoritarian countries’ effort to undermine democracies, the role of good and bad communication strategi [...]
Nad’a Kovalčíková Discusses Disinformation, AI, and the Coronavirus Pandemic on ‘Human Rights Talks’
Program Manager and Fellow Nad’a Kovalčíková joined the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights for an interview as part of their “AI and Covid-19 Digital Disinformation Initiative” series in partnership with the Organization for Security a [...]