Josh A. Goldstein and Renée DiResta shared their expert analysis in an op-ed published by Foreign Policy. In their piece, they discuss recent efforts by the U.S. government to disrupt Russian influence operations, highlighting how Russia uses fake domains, media outlets, and social media influencers to manipulate global public conversations. The Justice and State Departments revealed that Russia’s tactics extend beyond the use of social media bots and trolls, involving cyberattacks, covert media funding, and false media platforms.

The authors highlight the ease with which propagandists exploit social media, noting, “Social media is an attractive tool for covert propagandists, who can quickly create fake accounts, tailor content for target audiences, and insert virtual interlopers into real online communities… However, dealing with a committed adversary necessitates more than playing whack-a-mole with fake accounts and redirect links on social media.”

To read the full op-ed, visit Foreign Policy.