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.
Nad’a Kovalcikova in discussion with Jens Stoltenberg on #NATO2030
ASD Fellow and Program Manager Dr. Nad'a Kovalcikova moderated a panel discussion with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss the launching of #NATO2030 and the future of the alliance in an increasingly competitive world. [...]
Nad’a Kovalcikova Joins Globsec to Discuss Push and Pull Factors of the COVID-19 Infodemic
Fellow and Program Manager Nad'a Kovalcikova joined Globsec for a webinar discussion entitled "COVID-19 Infodemic: Push and Pull Factors." As the coronavirus pandemic starts to retreat and countries are starting to open their economies, false stori [...]
Strong Yet Brittle: The Risks of Digital Authoritarianism
Introduction Authoritarian governments increasingly adopt technology-centric national strategies and methods of internal governance. They control their societies through digital censorship, propaganda, and surveillance, and use these same tools to [...]
Laura Rosenberger Talks 2020 Election Security on ‘Intelligence Matters’
In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with ASD Director Laura Rosenberger. Rosenberger details the breadth of foreign interference threats the U.S. faces ahead of the 2020 presidential election from known actors like Ru [...]
Nad’a Kovalcikova Talks the Coronavirus Infodemic in Europe with Euranet Plus
Disinformation is on the rise during the coronavirus pandemic. The EU is fighting back, and tech companies are clamping down. But will moves to censor content just fuel the conspiratorial fire? “Global health crises are one of the common examples w [...]
Bret Schafer Talks China’s Coronavirus Social Media Offensive on Newsy
Digital Media and Disinformation Fellow Bret Schafer spoke to Newsy about how China is using social media to push thousands of messages intended to undermine the U.S.' handling of the coronavirus pandemic. "There has been an explosion of Chinese di [...]
COVID19 Disinformation and the Global Battle of Narratives: A U.S. and EU Perspective
Naja Bentzen, an analyst at European Parliamentary Research Service, and Sophie in't Veld, member of the European Parliament and chair of the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group, joined ASD Director Laura Rosenberger for a [...]
Bret Schafer on Beijing’s Twitter Offensive in the Coronavirus ‘Info War’ on NBC News
Digital Media and Disinformation Fellow Bret Schafer spoke to NBC News about Beijing's Twitter offensive during the coronavirus pandemic. China has launched a Twitter offensive in the coronavirus information war, more than doubling its number of of [...]
Jessica Brandt on Beijing’s Adoption of the Kremlin’s Disinformation Playbook for Brookings
ASD Head of Policy and Research Jessica Brandt and Brookings Non-Resident Fellow Torrey Taussig argue that throughout the coronavirus pandemic, China has carried out a striking disinformation campaign that borrows a few pages from the Kremlin’s play [...]
Jessica Brandt and Bret Schafer Discuss China’s Role in the Coronavirus Infodemic on ‘Democracy Works’
Head of Research and Policy Jessica Brandt and Digital Media and Disinformation Fellow Bret Schafer were interviewed on the "Democracy Works" podcast about China's role in the coronavirus infodemic. As if the coronavirus pandemic wasn’t enough to [...]
Clint Watts Talks Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories on Meet the Press
Non-Resident Fellow Clint Watts identifies the central coronavirus conspiracy theories and outlines their sources. Read more here. [...]
Triad of Disinformation: How Russia, Iran, & China Ally in a Messaging War against America
When Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian began tweeting about the origins of the coronavirus in March, it marked a significant turning point in China’s social media disinformation operations. While China has long deployed widespread ce [...]