Europe & Eurasia

Fri, Aug 30, 2024

Pro-Russia, pro-Wagner activity surges following Mali and Wagner forces’ defeat in battle

An inauthentic network of YouTube channels pushed pro-AES and anti-Ukraine narratives after the Tinzaouaten confrontation

by Valentin Châtelet

Africa Artificial Intelligence

Fri, Aug 30, 2024

TikTok accounts target West Africa with AI-generated content promoting Putin and regional leaders

TikTok accounts with thousands of followers spread pro-Russia and anti-France narratives

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Africa Artificial Intelligence

Mon, Aug 12, 2024

Russia uses video games in Africa to spread anti-Western propaganda

A Hearts of Iron IV mod exemplifies how video games can become propaganda tools

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Africa France

Tue, Aug 6, 2024

Pro-Russian Facebook pages spread anti-French, anti-UN content in West Africa

Network of inauthentic pro-Russian pages spread false claims targeting elections, France, and the UN peacekeeping mission in CAR

by Valentin Châtelet

Advertising Africa
CSI Russian Tech Isolation

Mon, Jul 29, 2024

Russia’s Digital Tech Isolationism: Domestic Innovation, Digital Fragmentation, and the Kremlin’s Push to Replace Western Digital Technology 

Russia’s technological isolation is both a reality and a desired goal for Moscow. This piece explores the impacts of this phenomenon and offers recommendations for how to deal with that evolving digital ecosystem.

by Justin Sherman

Cybersecurity Internet

Tue, Jul 16, 2024

Fake Cameroonian news sites spread pro-Russia, anti-France content

Fake Cameroonian outlets disseminated AI-generated voiceovers across Facebook and other social media platforms

by Valentin Châtelet

Cameroon Disinformation

Wed, Jul 10, 2024

Anti-Ukraine narratives spread following Kyiv children’s hospital attack

Narratives blamed Ukraine for the incident, accusing it of targeting itself or deploying air defense systems ineptly

by Ruslan Trad

Disinformation Ukraine

Tue, Jul 9, 2024

AI tools usage for disinformation in the war in Ukraine

How and what technology Russia used to spread disinformation after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine

by Roman Osadchuk

Artificial Intelligence Propaganda
Screenshot of a Facebook ad displaying Ilan Shor's allegations that "the collective West aims to seize Moldova" and "the West means war and fear."

Mon, Jul 8, 2024

Inauthentic Facebook ad campaign spreads anti-EU messages

Facebook pages disguised as neutral news sources sponsored ads to promote anti-EU narratives ahead of Moldova's referendum on EU integration

by Victoria Olari

Advertising Deceptive Content Manipulation

Thu, Jul 4, 2024

Operation targets French snap elections using AI-generated content

Operation uses AI to rewrite articles to adopt a more 'conservative stance'

by Valentin Châtelet

Artificial Intelligence Deceptive Content Manipulation
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a signing ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia March 21, 2023. (Source: Sputnik/Vladimir Astapkovich/Kremlin via Reuters)

Wed, Jun 12, 2024

In Sub-Saharan Africa, China embraces Russian messaging against Ukraine

Russian narratives thrive in Sub-Saharan Africa with the help of Chinese media networks, localization expertise, and infrastructure

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Africa Cameroon
Generative art showing paper airplanes flying over Red Square in Moscow.

Mon, Jun 10, 2024

Another battlefield: Telegram as a digital front in Russia’s war against Ukraine

In this new report, the DFRLab investigates the role of Telegram in Russia since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine

Conflict Disinformation