• Nonresident Fellow

Simin Kargar

Simin Kargar is a researcher on human rights and technology. Over the past decade, Kargar has worked with a variety of public and private stakeholders on the interrelations of technology, geopolitics, and human rights in repressive environments. At DFRLab, Kargar focuses on information warfare in the Middle East and the policy responses that it calls for.

Kargar is currently a doctoral researcher at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University. Her research centers on the evolution of statecraft in the networked era. In particular, she investigates the ways that Iran and Saudi Arabia, as two regional powers, engage in subversive activities through emerging technologies and complicate the regional and international affairs.

October 2024

Iranian election interference: When you’re broke, at least be flashy

by Simin Kargar

How Iran’s influence operations playbook targeting US elections has – and hasn’t – changed over time
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October 2022

Analysis: Why Iranian protesters are embracing Anonymous

by Simin Kargar

The decentralized hacker movement has vowed to free the people of Iran, mirroring chants of protesters on the street
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April 2022

China’s discourse power operations in the Global South

by Kenton Thibaut

An overview of China’s discourse power activities in the Global South, including the regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. It outlines the processes through which China leverages its diplomatic, media, and political positions in these regions to gain influence, and assesses the impacts of these activities for democratic resilience worldwide.
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