• Research Fellow, Baltics

Nika Aleksejeva

Nika Aleksejeva is a research fellow for the Baltics at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) based in Latvia.

Nika’s specific research interest is identifying, exposing and explaining disinformation on digital engagement spaces in the Baltic states and beyond. She has monitored Zapad 2017 military exercize and European elections in 2019. Nika has also lead the development of The News Hero, a media literacy game on Facebook, at the NATO Strategic Communication Center of Excellence (NATO Stratcom COE).

Nika comes from a journalism background – her work involved writing on business topics and making data-driven stories about energetics, global economic trends and education. Prior to joining NATO Stratcom COE she has been working with Infogram, a popular data visualization service.

Seeing the future in digital journalism, Nika works to improve quality journalism and build resilience to disinformation online. In her free time she works to empower Latvian journalists with data journalism skills by curating School of Data branch in Latvia.

January 2021

Fringe influencers exploit COVID-19 disinfo for political gain in Latvia

by Nika Aleksejeva

One influencer mobilized an anti-government protest in Riga while several fringe political figures peddled COVID-19 conspiracy theories
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June 2019

Operation Secondary Infektion

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

A Russian-based information operation used fake accounts, forged documents, and dozens of online platforms to spread stories.
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May 2019

Old Videos Repurposed as Anti-Immigrant Content Ahead of EP Elections

by Nika Aleksejeva

Recycled footage spreads on Twitter and Facebook in the lead-up to the European Parliament elections
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