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.
How Yandex Has Featured the Bombing of the Bridge to Crimea
Russia has blamed Ukrainian intelligence for the October 8 blast that partially collapsed the Kerch Bridge that connects Crimea to the Russian mainland. Russian President Vladimir Putin called it a “terrorist attack” and promised swift reprisals. Tr [...]
Hamilton Toplines: October 5–11, 2022
Russia Monitored Russian accounts tweeted 11,856 times from October 5 to October 11, generating 200,189 retweets and 626,538 likes. Russian state media and diplomats last week provided extensive coverage of the Crimean bridge explosion on October 8, [...]
Laura Thornton Breaks Down the State of US Democracy and Foreign Policy on Background Briefing with Ian Masters
Background Briefing with Ian Masters · October 13, 2022 - Norman Ornstein | Adele Stan | Laura Thornton An Analysis of Today's Final House January 6 Committee Hearing | Who Did Liz Cheney Have in Mind When She Said "We Have Enough Information For [...]
Laura Thornton Analyzes Backsliding Democracies and Rising Autocracies in Europe with the National Committee on American Foreign Policy
In its 2022 Nations in Transit report, Freedom House observed an ongoing 18-year decline of democracies in Central Europe and Eurasia. With the electoral victories of the Brothers of Italy and the Sweden Democrats, both far-right parties with neo-fa [...]
Laura Thornton in Foreign Policy: Kremlin Talking Points Are Back in the US Debate
When Tesla chief executive Elon Musk tweeted his support for Russia’s dismemberment of Ukraine, he used some highly revealing language. Crimea should be Russian, he tweeted, because of “Krushchev’s mistake”—a reference to Soviet leader Nikita Krushc [...]
Midterm Monitor Weekly Report: October 6–12, 2022
The Midterm Monitor is an interactive tool that provides a snapshot of social media messages and narratives shaping the conversation around voting and election administration in the leadup to the 2022 midterm elections. The Midterm Monitor tracks so [...]
Hamilton Toplines: September 28–October 4, 2022
Russia Russian diplomats and state media last week tweeted 18,327 times, generating 266,201 retweets and 836,310 likes. Kremlin-affiliated accounts last week made a concerted push to amplify a conspiratorial speech given by President Vladimir Putin, [...]
A Look Into Russia’s Propaganda about the Nord Stream Explosions
Overview On September 26, a series of blasts ripped through the Nord Stream pipelines, which carry gas from Russia to Europe. NATO called the explosions “deliberate, reckless, and irresponsible acts of sabotage” and expressed support for investigati [...]
Midterm Monitor Weekly Report: September 28–October 5, 2022
The Midterm Monitor is an interactive tool that provides a snapshot of social media messages and narratives shaping the conversation around voting and election administration in the leadup to the 2022 midterm elections. The Midterm Monitor tracks so [...]
Hamilton Toplines: Sept 21–27, 2022
Russia Monitored Russian accounts last week tweeted 19,668 times, generating 224,448 retweets and 687,480 likes. On Tuesday, Kremlin-orchestrated referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine laid a pretext for Russia to announce the annexation of larg [...]
Monitoring the Midterms: Wisconsin
In a recent poll, “threats to democracy” was the top concern among voters, beating out “cost of living” for the number one spot. Early data from our Midterm Monitor indicated some agreement across party lines that democracy is under threat, though t [...]
What You Can Do to Protect against Mis- and Disinformation: 5 Quick Tips
Americans must act to protect themselves—and their communities—from mis- and disinformation. The Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund of the United States has five quick tips to help you avoid consuming and sharing false news: [...]