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Browse resources on authoritarian sharp power and its effects on the integrity of institutions and globalized spaces.
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Publication Date: September 30, 2024
Pro-Russian Politicians Step Up Propaganda Efforts ahead of Moldova’s EU Accession Referendum
Authoritarian Country: Russia
Affected Region: Europe, Moldova
Author: Iulian Ernst
Pro-Russian interference is growing ahead of two votes in Moldova. Maia Sandu’s national security adviser estimated that Russia will spend €100mn to interfere with the presidential elections and EU referendum. This interference includes bribes and replacing media closed for pro-Russian propaganda.
Publication Date: September 29, 2023
Sweden Accuses Iran of Targeted ‘Misinformation’ about Quran Burnings
Authoritarian Country: Iran, Russia
Affected Region: Europe, Sweden
Author: Seth J. Frantzman
Iran and Russia-backed disinformation campaigns have used recent Quran burnings to manipulate sentiments in Sweden. Fearing the effects of these malign efforts, the Swedish government has tasked its Agency for Psychological Defense with countering these campaigns.
Publication Date: September 28, 2023
How the People’s Republic of China Seeks to Reshape the Global Information Environment
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Global
The PRC has sought to shape the global information landscape in its favor through information manipulation, intimidation, co-opting journalists and enabling digital authoritarianism with cutting-edge technology.
Publication Date: September 26, 2023
Moldova’s President Calls Out Russian Meddling
Authoritarian Country: Russia
Affected Region: Europe, Moldova
Author: Ahshish Kumar Sen
Moldova has sought support of the EU and international community to safeguard its democratic processes against Russian subversion. Russian tactics include election interference, disinformation, and economic blackmail.
Source: Balkan Insight
Publication Date: September 20, 2024
Orban’s Propaganda Campaign Against Ukraine Proves Surprisingly Effective
Authoritarian Country: Russia
Affected Region: Europe, Ukraine, Hungary
Author: Edit Inotai
As Hungarian President Victor Orban has drawn closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the anti-Ukrainian propaganda in Hungary has become louder. Since 2014, Russia has provoked interethnic conflict between Ukraine and Hungary through disinformation campaigns via online newspapers and posters.
Source: Foreign Policy Research Institute
Publication Date: September 19, 2023
China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Politics Over Economics
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Global
Author: Felix K. Chang
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been expected to enter a new phase following the PRC’s Third BRI Forum in October 2023. With over 150 countries participating in the BRI, China’s plans for its signature initiative have appeared increasingly political and less focused on infrastructure development.
Source: Power 3.0
Publication Date: September 12, 2023
Taiwan on the Frontline of China’s Information Operations
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Asia-Pacific, Taiwan
Author: Ko Shu-Ling
Within Taiwan, PRC-backed media outlets have discredited pro-independence perspectives and increased polarization through disinformation. Beijing has relied on its state agencies, Taiwanese provincial governments, commercial media, and social media to amplify these information manipulation operations.
Publication Date: September 3, 2023
Iran Gleefully Eyes the Protests in Israel, Looking for Weaknesses to Exploit
Authoritarian Country: Iran
Affected Region: Middle East and North Africa, Israel
Author: Jason M. Brodsky
In addition to violent intervention through proxy militia groups, Iran has used cyber interference to exacerbate political rifts in Israeli society and advance Iranian interests. Iran-backed disinformation campaigns have misled high-level officials and target Israelis across the political spectrum.
Publication Date: October 5, 2024
Debt or Diplomacy? Inside China’s Controversial Loans to Sri Lanka, Laos, and Malaysia
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Asia-Pacific, Malaysia, Laos, Sri Lanka
Author: Zdeněk Rod
China is using opaque practices, corruption, and predatory loans to saddle countries with unsustainable debt, thereby undermining their sovereignty and seizing control of critical infrastructure, such as ports or power plants.
Source: Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Publication Date: October 31, 2023
HispanTV Is Iran’s Propaganda Arm in Latin America; Why Is It Still Being Broadcast?
Authoritarian Country: Iran
Affected Region: Latin America and the Caribbean
Author: Emanuele Ottolenghi, Marina Rosenberg
HispanTV, Iran’s Spanish-language media outlet, has spread disinformation to influence global narratives surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict. The state of Iran has used HispanTV as a platform to defend Hamas, espouse antisemitic rhetoric, and glorify violence.
Publication Date: October 27, 2023
Russian Influence Campaigns in Latin America
Authoritarian Country: Russia
Affected Region: Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Mexico, Costa Rica, Latin America and the Caribbean, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Author: Douglas Farah and Román D. Ortiz
Since 2013, Russia has sought to undermine U.S. influence in Latin America through strategic investments and an elaborate information ecosystem, involving local institutions, media, and civil society. Persistent anti-U.S. and antidemocratic messaging are main features of the information operations.
Source: The Times
Publication Date: October 21, 2023
How Iran is Spreading Disinformation in Britain
Authoritarian Country: Iran
Affected Region: Europe, United Kingdom
Author: Fiona Hamilton, Tom Witherow
Iran has mobilized British elites, academic institutions, and social media to influence Britain’s information ecosystem surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Publication Date: October 2, 2024
Russian surveillance network in Nicaragua raises alarm
Authoritarian Country: Russia
Affected Region: Latin America and the Caribbean, Nicaragua
Author: Alek Buttermann
Nicaragua has become a crucial center for Russian espionage operations in Latin America. Moscow has expanded its digital influence in the region through three main channels: direct control of technology, partnerships masquerading as private collaborations, and Russian intelligence-led companies.
Source: Observer Research Foundation
Publication Date: October 19, 2024
China’s Information War in Africa
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Sub-Saharan Africa
Author: Samir Bhattacharya; Yuvvraj Singh
China has adopted a three-pronged strategy in its information campaign in Africa. By training media professionals, investing in local media outlets, and selling technology to governments that enables tighter control over digital information, China is able to expand the reach of favorable narratives.
Publication Date: October 18, 2023
Indonesia, China Vow to Expand Economic Cooperation
Authoritarian Country: China
Affected Region: Asia-Pacific, Indonesia
Author: Sebastian Strangio
The third Belt and Road Forum, in October 2023, demonstrated that many Southeast Asian leaders see China as the key to their nations’ prosperity, helping them to build infrastructure and adopt new technologies. That dependence may discourage leaders from challenging China’s anti-democratic rhetoric.