Back in January, I wrote about several trends to follow this year in the ongoing effort to combat disinformation. Nine months later, what do we know about campaigns around the world to sow dissension and efforts to stop them?
Here’s a quick look at several intentional efforts to undermine societies through spreading lies and falsehoods, often through governments or organizations and individuals affiliated with those governments. The examples show how disinformation efforts attempt to impact elections and perceptions of democracy.
Russian campaigns
In early September, the U.S. Justice Department announced sanctions and other measures to curtail Russian disinformation efforts aimed at the 2024 U.S. elections. According to the Justice Department, a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw websites that were tools of the Russian propaganda machine but masqueraded as U.S. sources of information. The efforts included paying social media influencers to contribute to a Tennessee site that the Justice Department says Russia used to spread their messages.
A few days later, the Biden Administration announced the Russian government is using RT, the state media company, as part of its intelligence operations around the world. The administration detailed sanctions against RT, which the State Department says is engaged in covert operations to undermine U.S. elections and democracy. Notably, Meta promptly banned RT from the social media giant’s far-reaching global platforms. (RT’s editor, Margarita Simonyan, is one subject of the Biden Administration’s sanctions.)
Iran and China also conduct digital influence campaigns. But Russian initiatives deserve special consideration given reports from the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee about Putin’s interest in influencing U.S. election outcomes in 2016 and 2020.
European elections
Russian disinformation efforts particularly focused on France during the Paris Olympics and the French summer elections. The latter were important to Russia given that French President Emmanuel Macron staunchly opposes Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Macron’s centrist party trailed the far-right National Rally party in the first round of voting, but it ended up second in another round of voting that gave none of the three contesting parties a parliamentary majority. Still, the Russian effort to undermine France and Macron was evident. Russia has focused on Macron’s support for Ukraine for some time.
Leading up to the June European Parliament elections, false information spread about topics like immigration, climate change, and Ukraine. One false narrative working its way through Hungary was that “pro-war” European politicians want to start World War III.
The good news is democracies are getting better at spotting disinformation campaigns and even calling them out before lies take hold in a country. Disinformation specialists term this “prebunking.”
Yet elections remain a magnet for those sowing dissension with intentionally inaccurate information. The United States and other free nations, along with democracy activists in authoritarian nations, have every reason to remain vigilant.
Lies about Ukraine
Disinformation campaigns are a staple in Russia’s war against Ukraine. As one example, Olena Zelensky, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has been the subject of a conspiracy theory that rivals the bizarre Pizzagate conspiracy that surrounded Hillary Clinton in 2016. Just as lies spread about Clinton allegedly operating a child-trafficking ring out of a Washington, D.C. pizza shop, falsehoods have spread about Zelensky trafficking minors through her foundation.
That whopper goes along with disinformation campaigns about Zelensky spending more than a million dollars on jewelry in New York. None of these charges hold up, nor do falsehoods about her husband using American aid to purchase two yachts. Yet websites and social media accounts close to the Kremlin, the fact-checking organization Maldita explains, are using the deceptions to undermine Ukrainian efforts to thwart Putin’s invasion of their nation.
Propaganda in Venezuela
ProBox Observatory monitors digital disinformation efforts in Venezuela, where Nicolás Maduro falsely claims to have won the July 28 presidential election. In a recent report, ProBox noted TikTok is now a go-to site for some political videos across Venezuela. The site remains primarily an entertainment source, but ProBox says that “TikTok has become the new platform preferred by the Venezuelan government, especially by Nicolás Maduro for campaigning, live broadcasts, challenges and ‘humorous’ content on this network.”
What’s more, the report states, the Maduro government has used other official public institutions to spread propaganda about its work and to discredit opponents. All against Venezuelan laws, ProBox explains.
The point here is that bad actors don’t just use disinformation to destabilize foreign nations. In Venezuela, the government itself uses lies to undermine opponents.
It is important that an organization like ProBox Observatory tracks these efforts. Both the Maduro government and its predecessor have undermined a free press and restricted access to social media platforms. And it keeps manipulating information to stay in power. The spotlight of independent organizations can be the only way to counter disinformation in some nations.
Telegram CEO’s arrest
The French government’s arrest of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov in late August sent shock waves in many directions, not the least of which was towards the Russian government. The latter has used the Telegram app for battlefield communications in Ukraine.
The app is known for its secrecy and enabling large groups to gather in online chats, where disinformation can easily spread. Not surprisingly, Russian authorities decried the arrest of Durov, who France charged with activities like spreading drug trafficking, child pornography, and Islamic extremism through his app.
There are many angles to this story, including the degree to which it highlights the tension between free speech and social media platforms. But Durov’s arrest does throw Putin’s government a curve ball.
We can expect more nefarious disinformation activities before the year ends. Here, though, are five updates to consider. Remaining vigilant is how citizens can combat organized campaigns globally and at home.
