Behind the Lines of Disinformation Warfare

August 24, 2018

Facebook has removed hundreds of accounts linked to Russia and Iran for malicious political behavior ahead of the upcoming US midterm elections. Microsoft has taken down six Russia-linked websites targeting the US Senate and several Washington think tanks that promote democracy or investigate Russian corruption. New evidence shows that prior to the US presidential election in 2016, Russian internet trolls hurled insults at both advocates and critics of vaccines solely to raise the national level of hostility. What’s going on? In Issues, a scholar recently examined how advanced information technologies are adding a new dimension to regional and global conflict, particularly the use of “weaponized narratives” to undermine an adversary’s institutions, identity, and civilization.

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